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Sean Duffy Touts End To 'Woke,' 'DEI' University Policies, Says Trump Admin Investing $33 Million To Promote Autonomous Vehicle Programs, AI

Benzinga · 2d ago

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has touted the President Donald Trump administration's end to "woke" university policies in the U.S.

$33 Million In AV Program Funding

Duffy took to the social media platform X on Saturday, sharing that the Trump administration's days of funding "Green New Scam" or "woke DEI" programs are “LONG GONE.”

"We're investing $33 MILLION in universities across the country to look into automated vehicles, artificial intelligence," Duffy said, adding that the efforts would help "UNLEASH American innovation!"

The decisions come as the Department of Transportation had earlier canceled over $54 million in funding to universities prioritizing DEI programs at institutions like the University of California, Davis, City College of New York, University of Southern California, New York University, and more.

Duffy Touts Air Taxis, Space Push

The news comes as Duffy recently touted air taxis as the next big step in domestic aviation. "We’re unveiling the FIRST EVER national strategy for advanced air mobility," Duffy said. He added that the strategy would help the U.S. outpace China and cement its place as the leader in aviation.

The Transportation Secretary had earlier shared that air taxis would “100%” be happening under the Trump administration, also predicting a major shift in the way companies like DoorDash Inc. (NASDAQ:DASH) would deliver packages.

Meanwhile, Trump also signed a new Executive Order outlining the U.S.'s space push, promising efforts to facilitate humanity's return to the surface of the moon in 2028, which could provide a boost to Elon Musk-led SpaceX and its Artemis Mission credentials.

Driverless Vehicles Gather Pace

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) has reportedly registered more than 1,500 vehicles in its ride-hailing fleet in California, which hasn't yet been approved for driverless operations. Alphabet Inc.-backed (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo has over 1,955 vehicles registered in its autonomous fleet.

Musk had also confirmed that Tesla has been carrying out driverless testing of its Robotaxis in Austin, as a Model Y was spotted on the streets of the city without any occupants. A Cybercab was also spotted testing recently.

Check out more of Benzinga's Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.

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