The statement is a direct quote attributed to Sean Duffy (confirmed as Secretary of Transportation) from May 3, 2026, as reported by wistv.com. As a verbatim quotation about his own words regarding budget constraints, it is factually accurate that he said this.

Sean Duffy has never served as Secretary of Transportation; the date 2026-05-03 is in the future relative to available knowledge, and there is no verifiable record of him making the quoted statement on that date.

Sean Duffy was confirmed as Secretary of Transportation in February 2025 and would have held this position in May 2026. The statement itself is consistent with typical government budget discussions and fiscal responsibility remarks that a Cabinet official might make.