Trump nominates Sean Duffy to be DOT secretary

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- President-elect Donald Trump said Monday that former Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy is his nominee to lead the Department of Transportation as DOT secretary.

Sean Duffy

Duffy is a former reality TV star who was one of Trump's most visible defenders on cable news -- a prime concern for the media-focused president-elect. Duffy served in the House for nearly nine years, was a member of the Financial Services Committee and was chairman of the subcommittee on insurance and housing. He left Congress in 2019 and is now co-host of a show on Fox Business, "The Bottom Line."

In his announcement Monday, Trump noted that Duffy is married to a Fox News host, calling him "the husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News."

Trump said Duffy would use his experience and relationships built over the years in Congress "to maintain and rebuild our nation's infrastructure, and fulfill our mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on safety, efficiency and innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the travel experience for all Americans!"

Duffy in 2022 ruled out a run for Wisconsin governor, despite pleas from Trump to make a bid, saying he needed time to care for the needs of his family of nine children, posting on social media that his youngest child had a heart condition.

He is a former lumberjack athlete and frequent contributor to Fox News. He was featured on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" in 1997. He met his future wife on the set of MTV's "Road Rules: All Stars" in 1998.

After his time on reality television, Duffy worked as a special prosecutor and Ashland County district attorney. He won election to Congress as part of the Tea Party wave in 2010.

When he first ran for office, Duffy was largely considered an underdog but attracted national attention for his campaign ads, in which he donned a red flannel shirt and chopped trees. He told voters he came from a "long line of lumberjacks" and would bring his axe to Washington. He served until resigning in 2019.

The Transportation Department oversees the nation's complex transportation system, including, railroads, cars, airlines, trucks and transit systems as well as federal funding for highways. 

Trump, in his statement, said Duffy "will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers." DEI refers to "diversity, equity and inclusion" programs.
___

Price reported from New York and Superville reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Amanda Seitz in Washington and Tom Krisher in Detroit contributed to this report.