Trump Taps Sean Duffy for Department of Transportation
Washington, D.C. — President-elect Donald Trump has appointed former Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy, a contributor to Fox News, as the next Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Trump’s announcement on Truth Social hailed Duffy as a "respected voice and communicator," emphasizing his bipartisan experience from nearly a decade in Congress.
Duffy, who represented Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019, has gained public recognition through his prior appearances on reality television, including MTV’s "The Real World." He has been actively involved in Fox News since stepping down from Congress, hosting various programs since 2020.
As Secretary of Transportation, Duffy will oversee a department with an annual budget exceeding $100 billion and a workforce of over 57,000, responsible for managing the nation’s aviation systems, highways, railroads, and ports. Under the leadership of current Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the DOT has pursued extensive infrastructure initiatives funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law. These initiatives include significant investments in roads and bridges and enhancing air travel safety.
Trump’s nomination of Duffy follows a trend of selecting media figures for key government roles, having previously appointed Pete Hegseth from Fox & Friends as his choice for Secretary of Defense.
Challenges awaiting Duffy include navigating existing projects and policies initiated under Buttigieg, especially those related to consumer protections for air travelers and safety improvements on roads.
Additionally, Duffy’s role intersects with the business interests of major figures, such as Elon Musk. Musk’s companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, often find themselves at odds with regulatory agencies under the DOT, particularly regarding safety investigations into Tesla’s self-driving technology.
Duffy will be expected to manage these complexities while leading a critical agency in the forthcoming administration.
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