President-Elect Donald Trump has tapped Sean Duffy, a former reality television star and Fox News pundit, as the next Secretary of Transportation, saying Duffy will help make the nation’s highways, tunnels, bridges, and airports “beautiful” again.
Having gained national fame in the late 1990s after starring in the MTV reality shows ‘The Real World: Boston’ and ‘Road Rules: All Stars,’ Duffy turned his attention to a career in politics, initially serving as a District Attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin.
In 2010, Duffy continued to represent Wisconsin after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for the state’s 7th congressional district, where he focused on economic and infrastructure issues, chairing the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee in the House.
Duffy resigned from Congress in 2019, citing the need to spend more time with his family. Duffy is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, who co-hosts the Fox & Friends Weekend show. He is a father to nine children.
During his time out of front-line politics, Duffy also had a stint on Fox News, co-hosting ‘The Bottom Line’ on Fox Business Network, where he suggested that the explosive blowout of the mid-cabin exit door plug on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737MAX earlier this year was the result of DEI initiatives.
In a statement announcing Duffy’s nomination, Trump said he would “make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.”
The statement continued: “He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness, and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports. He will ensure ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security.”
“Sean will use his experience and the relations he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s infrastructure and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, efficiency, and Innovation.”
“Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans.”
If his nomination is approved, Duffy will take over from serving Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who has been using his presence on social media to promote the initiatives and investments made in transportation infrastructure during the Biden administration.
Buttigieg has been seen as a champion of consumer rights, including implementing a new rule that gives airline passengers the right to an automatic refund if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed and they choose not to travel.
