President-elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy to be the transportation secretary, as part of his ongoing selection process for his Cabinet.
Sean Duffy, a former reality TV star and prominent defender of Trump on cable news, served nearly nine years in the House, and was a member of the Financial Services Committee as well as the chairman of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He currently co-hosts a show on Fox Business called “The Bottom Line”.
The big picture: Trump specifically highlighted Duffy’s marriage to Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, referring to her as a “STAR on Fox News”, and emphasized that Duffy’s congressional experience and established relationships would be utilized to enhance the nation’s infrastructure, focusing on safety, efficiency, and innovation.
Driving the news: This nomination marks the second instance of a Fox-affiliated television host being appointed to a cabinet position in Trump’s new White House, with the previous announcement of Fox News host Pete Hegseth as the defense secretary.
- Trump expressed that Duffy’s priorities would include excellence, competence, competitiveness, and beauty in rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges, and airports.
The backstory: In addition to his political career, Duffy is a former lumberjack athlete and a frequent contributor to Fox News. He gained initial television exposure as a cast member of MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” in 1997 and met his future wife on the set of MTV’s “Road Rules: All Stars” in 1998.
Zoom in: The Transportation Department, which oversees the nation’s transportation system and federal funding for highways, includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates automakers, and the regulation of the airline industry through the Federal Aviation Administration.
Photo: Gage Skidmore
