Former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy, a Fox Business host, has been tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to be his nominee for secretary of transportation.
Duffy — who served in Congress from 2011 to 2019 after working as a local district attorney in Wisconsin’s Ashland County and making apperances in MTV’s “Real World” reality television universe — will be tasked with “rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” ensuring the United States’ ports and dams “serve our Economy without compromising our National Security,” and “eliminating [diversity, equity and inclusion policies] for pilots and air traffic controllers,” Trump said in a statement through his transition team.
“Sean will use his experience and the relationships 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!” Trump wrote.
Duffy left Congress in 2019, citing the need to take care of a newborn daughter diagnosed with a heart condition. He is married to Rachel Campos-Duffy, a fellow Fox News personality and “Real World” alumnus. They have nine children. Duffy in 2022 ruled out a run for governor of Wisconsin, despite pleas from Trump to make a bid, citing his obligations to his family and his child with the heart condition.
“The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind,” Trump said.
A reality television background before politics is not unusual in Trump's world. The former president launched his political career after his hit reality show, “The Apprentice.” Duffy, after his time on reality television, worked as a special prosecutor and Ashland County district attorney. He won election to Congress as part of a tea party wave in 2010.
Duffy is the second Fox News host chosen for a Cabinet position by Trump, who has a long and interdependent relationship with the network. “Fox & Friends” weekend co-host Pete Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, was tapped for secretary of defense.
If confirmed by the Senate, Duffy will succeed current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeig. Trump’s only Senate-confirmed transportation secretary during his first term was Elaine Chao, the wife of Kentucky GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell. Chao resigned after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has been the subject of racist attacks by the president-elect ever since.
While in the House Duffy was a member of the Financial Services Committee and chairman of the subcommittee on insurance and housing.
The Transportation Department oversees the nation’s complex transportation system, including pipelines, railroads, cars, trucks, the airlines and mass transit systems as well as federal funding for highways.
If confirmed, Duffy would take over at a time of tremendous change, especially on the nation’s highways. Traffic deaths remain near record highs at a time when new technologies are being introduced that could help make the roads safer. Multiple companies are deploying autonomous robotaxis and even driverless semis with no specific federal regulations. And the nascent move from gasoline to electric vehicles presents safety problems of its own, especially with battery fires that can be difficult to extinguish.
The department includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates automakers, including Elon Musk’s Tesla. The department sets fuel economy standards for cars and trucks and regulates the airline industry through the Federal Aviation Administration, which is grappling with a shortage of air traffic controllers to ensure the safe and orderly flow of air travel.
Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of Airlines for America, said the association was “thrilled” by the choice of Duffy.
“Congressman Duffy has a proven track record for getting things done, and we are eager to collaborate with him on key issues impacting the U.S. airline industry," Calio said.
Trump has criticized electric vehicles as expensive and unreliable and called President Joe Biden’s policy to promote them “lunacy. He also has said EV manufacturing will destroy auto industry jobs and has falsely claimed that battery-powered cars don’t work in cold weather and are unable to travel long distances.
Trump has softened his rhetoric about electric vehicles in recent months after Musk endorsed him and campaigned heavily for his election.
Even so, industry officials expect Trump to try to slow a shift to electric cars, and a tax credit for EV purchases is reportedly among those the Trump administration may seek to eliminate next year.
Trump, in his statement, said Duffy would “prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports.” Trump, as he campaigned for the White House, would sometimes complain about the state of air travel in particular, lamenting that the nation’s “once-revered airports” are a “dirty, crowded mess.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.