President-elect Donald Trump said Monday he has named former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy as his nominee for transportation secretary as he continues to roll out chooses his cabinet.
Duffy is a former reality TV star who was one of Trump’s most visible defenders on cable news — a primary concern for the media-oriented president-elect. Duffy served in the House of Representatives for nearly nine years, served on the Financial Services Committee and chaired the Insurance and Housing Subcommittee. He left Congress in 2019 and co-hosts “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business.
In his announcement, Trump noted that Duffy is married to a Fox News host and called him “the husband of an amazing woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News.”
Duffy is the second Fox-affiliated television host Trump has appointed to his Cabinet so far. Trump announced his choice for Fox News host last week Piet Hegseth to serve as his Secretary of Defense.
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Trump said Duffy would use his experience and relationships built over the years in Congress “to preserve and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and fulfill our mission of ushering in the Golden Age of travel, with an emphasis on safety, efficiency and innovation.’ What is important is that he will. vastly improve the travel experience for all Americans!”
Duffy ruled out a run for Wisconsin governor in 2022 despite pleas from Trump to make a bid, saying he had to care for his nine children, including his youngest child with a heart condition.
He is a former lumberjack athlete and regular contributor to Fox News. He appeared on MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” in 1997. He met his wife on the set of MTV’s “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998.
A reality TV background before politics is not unusual in Trump’s world. The former president launched his political career after his hit reality show “The Apprentice.”
After his time on reality TV, Duffy worked as a special prosecutor and district attorney in Ashland County. He won election to Congress as part of a tea party wave in 2010.
When he first ran for office, Duffy was largely considered an underdog, but he attracted national attention for his campaign ads, in which he donned a red flannel shirt and cut down trees. He told voters he came from a “long line of lumberjacks” and would bring his ax to Washington.
He served until his resignation in 2019.
The Transportation Department oversees the nation’s complex transportation system, including pipelines, railroads, automobiles, trucks, 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. The number of road deaths is still at a record high at a time when new technologies are being introduced that can help make the roads safer. Several companies are deploying autonomous robotaxis and even self-driving semi-autos without specific federal regulations. And the emerging switch from gasoline to electric vehicles itself poses safety concerns, especially in cars battery lights up that can be difficult to extinguish.
The department includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees automakers including Elon Musk’s Tesla. The department sets fuel economy standards for cars and trucks and regulates the aviation industry through the Federal Aviation Administration, which is struggling 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 selection of Duffy.
“Congressman Duffy has a proven track record of getting things done, and we are eager to work with him on important issues impacting the U.S. aviation industry,” said Calio.
Trump has criticized electric vehicles as expensive and unreliable and called President Joe Biden’s policies to promote them “madness.” He has also said that electric car production will destroy auto industry jobs and has falsely claimed that battery-powered cars do not work in cold weather and are unable to travel long distances.
Trump has softened his rhetoric on electric vehicles in recent months after Musk endorsed him campaigned heavily before his election.
Still, industry officials expect Trump will try to slow the shift to electric cars, and a tax credit for EV purchases is reportedly among the options the Trump administration could try to eliminate next year.
Trump said in his statement that Duffy would “prioritize excellence, competence, competitiveness and beauty as we rebuild America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports.” Trump, while campaigning for the White House, sometimes complained about the state of air travel in particular, complaining that the nation’s “once-respected airports” are a “dirty, overcrowded mess.”
Duffy, Trump said Monday, “will make our skies safe again by turning off DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.” DEI refers to diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
