President-elect Donald Trump on Monday announced that he’s picked former Rep. Sean Duffy of Wisconsin as transportation secretary, making him the second Fox News personality Mr. Trump has selected for his Cabinet.
In a statement, Mr. Trump praised Mr. Duffy as a “respected voice and communicator” who advocates for “fiscal responsibility, economic growth and rural development.”
“He will prioritize excellence, competence, competitiveness and beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” Mr. Trump said. “He will ensure our ports and dams to serve our economy without compromising our national security and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.”
Mr. Duffy is the second Fox News personality chosen by the incoming president to serve in a high-level Cabinet position. Mr. Trump last week said he intends to nominate Pete Hegseth, who co-hosts “Fox & Friends Weekend,” to serve as defense secretary.
Mr. Duffy was a co-host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business as well as a regular contributor on Fox News. His wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, is also a Fox News personality serving as the permanent co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend.” She has also guest-hosted Fox’s afternoon news program, “Outnumbered.”
In a statement Monday night, Fox confirmed that Mr. Duffy had resigned from Fox Business.
“Sean Duffy provided valuable insights and analysis in co-hosting the Fox Business Network program, ’The Bottom Line.’ As Duffy departs Fox News Media effective today, we wish him the best of luck in his return to Washington. Moving forward, ’The Bottom Line’ will continue with Dagen McDowell joined by rotating co-hosts,” the network said in a statement.
Before becoming a member of Congress, Mr. Duffy rose to fame in 1997 as a cast member of MTV’s “The Real World: Boston.” He appeared on MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons” in 2002.
He has also been an ESPN color commentator for athletic events such as the “Great Outdoor Games,” where he was also a competitor.
Mr. Duffy is also a former prosecutor and represented Wisconsin in the House for more than eight years. He was an outspoken supporter of Mr. Trump’s 2017 executive order to ban citizens of several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
“President Trump is fulfilling a campaign promise to evaluate our visa vetting process so that the American people are safe from terrorism,” Mr. Duffy said at the time.
While in Congress he also served on the Select Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood, which looked into allegations that the organization was selling tissues from aborted fetuses. He also co-sponsored legislation that would end protection for gray wolves in the Endangered Species Act and proposed legislation to overhaul the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
In 2019, Mr. Duffy resigned from Congress to care for a newborn daughter with a heart defect. He and his wife have nine children.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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