CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that he has selected Sean Duffy, a former congressman and recent co-host on FOX Business, to be the next Secretary of Transportation.
Duffy served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019, representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. He first joined Fox News as a contributor in 2020 and most recently served as co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line.”
Duffy’s last day as a Fox News employee was Monday, a Fox News spokesperson confirmed to CNN. Wednesday will be his last day on Fox Business, and he will be interviewed by the Secretary of Transportation later in the week, sources said.
In a statement, President Trump praised Duffy as a “very capable and well-liked public servant” and said he was “a respected voice and communicator in the Republican conference” during his time in Congress.
“He will prioritize excellence, capability, competitiveness, and beauty as we rebuild America’s highways, tunnels, bridges, and airports. Ports and dams will serve the economy without compromising national security. “We will make our skies safe again by ensuring that pilots and air traffic controllers have no DEI,” President Trump said.
Duffy, who served as chairman of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee during his tenure in Congress, has little experience in the transportation field.
If confirmed by the Senate, he would oversee projects involving companies run by Trump ally Elon Musk, who was nominated by the president-elect to lead the new Office of Government Efficiency. Mr. Musk’s companies have multibillion-dollar contracts with the federal government across numerous agencies, including the Department of Transportation.
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The division’s new leader will face a number of aviation safety-related issues, including a series of quality control and manufacturing problems at aircraft maker Boeing Co. There are also threats of airline union strikes and climate change-focused initiatives such as electric vehicles and charging stations, which are likely to be on his desk in the coming years.
Founded in 1966, the Department of Transportation has approximately 55,000 employees and leads the nation’s safety, sustainability and efficiency efforts for all forms of travel and transportation.
In this role, Duffy will take over the department from Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was named to lead the department in February 2021. Elaine Chao headed the department during the first Trump administration and resigned after the January 6, 2021, riot.
Duffy rose to fame in 1997 when she appeared on MTV’s “The Real World: Boston.” The following year, he competed on the network’s reality competition Road Rules: All Stars, where he met the woman he would marry, The Real World: Sun. Rachel Campos, cast member of “Francisco.” Campos-Duffy is a co-host on “Fox & Friends Weekend” and has worked for many years with Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense.
Prior to running for Congress, Mr. Duffy served as district attorney for Ashland County, Wisconsin from 2002 to 2008. He is a former professional lumberjack athlete and a color commentator for ESPN.
As a lawmaker, Duffy introduced legislation that would expand President Trump’s authority to impose tariffs, something the president vowed to do in his next term. The bill was ignored by his fellow Republicans at the time but praised by President Trump.
Mr Duffy resigned from parliament in 2019, saying in a statement at the time that he wanted to spend more time with his family ahead of the birth of their ninth child and that there were complications with his wife’s pregnancy. .
Prior to joining FOX News, Duffy was a political commentator for CNN. He also joined lobbying firm BGR Group, which has represented clients in the defense services, automotive and air transportation industries, as a senior advisor in 2019, according to Open Secrets. According to Open Secret, Duffy’s industries included securities, transportation, finance, accountancy, and electronics manufacturing. BGR Public Relations President Jeff Birnbaum told CNN that Duffy was a member of the company’s advisory board and not an employee, and that Duffy provided “strategic advisory services only,” not lobbying. .
According to BGR, Duffy resigned from the advisory committee at the time of the announcement of his selection as Secretary of Transportation.
This headline and story have been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Brian Stelter and Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.
