India, Nov. 9 -- US transport secretary Sean Duffy on Sunday warned that a "substantial" number of Americans will not be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families as air travel could be "reduced to a trickle" due to the prolonged government shutdown.

In an interview with CNN, Duffy said that the already reduced air traffic will only worsen.

"It's only going to get worse... Two weeks before Thanksgiving, you're going to see air travel be reduced to a trickle," Duffy said.

Asked if he had any sort of numerical idea of how many Americans would not be able to be with their families for the holidays, the transportation secretary said the number was "going to be substantial." He solely blamed the Democrats for the fiasco.

"Yesterda...