Donald Trump has picked Sean Duffy, a former congressman from Wisconsin and ex-cast member of MTV’s The Real World: Boston, to be his nominee for Secretary of Transportation. Duffy, who served in Congress from 2011 to 2019, is also known for his time on Fox Business before stepping down earlier this week.
Before jumping into politics, Duffy worked as a district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin, and became a TV personality in 1997 when he appeared on The Real World. It was there that he met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is now a Fox News contributor.
Trump praised Duffy, saying he would focus on improving America’s roads, bridges, tunnels, and airports with a focus on “Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness, and Beauty.” He also emphasized Duffy’s commitment to ensuring ports, dams, and skies are safe, mentioning he would work to get rid of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs for pilots and air traffic controllers.
During his time in Congress, Duffy stirred controversy with some of his comments. He faced backlash for comparing white supremacist violence to violence by groups like ISIS. He also said that the mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 2015 led to the removal of the Confederate flag from the South Carolina state capitol, which many found insensitive.
In a 2017 op-ed, Duffy praised Trump for working with big companies like Ford and Walmart to invest in America’s future. Duffy, who has nine kids, stepped down from Congress in 2019 to spend more time with his family after his wife faced complications during her pregnancy.
If confirmed, Duffy will lead the Department of Transportation, which has a $110 billion budget. He’ll oversee areas like aviation, rail, and highways, and will be working with the funding set aside in Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan.
Duffy’s nomination comes after the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and ongoing concerns over traffic deaths, which have remained high even after COVID. He will also have to deal with investigations into companies like Tesla and SpaceX, which are under the Department of Transportation’s watch. Trump has also promised to reverse Biden’s rules on vehicle emissions and focus on making cars more eco-friendly.
