Trump Taps Fox Business Host and Former Rep. Sean Duffy for Transportation Secretary

Skift Take

The former congressman was also co-host of the Fox Business show “The Bottom Line.”

Meghna Maharishi

President-elect Donald Trump nominated former congressman and Fox Business co-host Sean Duffy for Transportation Secretary.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering the Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation,” Trump said in a statement posted on Truth Social. 

Duffy served in the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and was the co-host of the Fox Business show “The Bottom Line.” Before he was elected to Congress, Duffy also served as district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin.

He first found fame when he starred in MTV’s “The Real World: Boston” in 1997. Duffy also competed in the network’s reality show “Road Rules: All Stars,” where he met his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy, who is also a Fox News’ “Fox & Friends Weekend” host with Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth.

“He will ensure our ports and dams serve our Economy without compromising our National Security, and he will make the skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers,” Trump said in the statement.

The incoming Transportation Secretary will oversee safety-related issues at Boeing, the ongoing air-traffic controller shortage, labor negotiations among pilots and flight attendants, and climate initiatives such as the development of sustainable aviation fuel. It’s unclear if a second Trump administration will toss some of the tax credits outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act for developing SAFs. 

Airlines for America, the trade group that oversees some of the major U.S. airlines, congratulated Duffy on the nomination.

“We are thrilled that President-elect Trump has chosen Congressman Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation,” Nicholas Calio, president and CEO of A4A, said. “Congressman Duffy has a proven track record for getting things done, and we are eager to collaborate with him on key issues impacting the U.S. airline industry.”

The trade group said it looks forward to working with the Trump administration on addressing the air traffic controller shortage, modernizing the National Airspace System, and expanding a collegiate training initiative program to more universities.

Wall Street Bets on More Airline Dealmaking Under Trump

Current Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took the post in 2021 and has overseen multiple consumer rights initiatives such as the implementation of automatic refunds, no-fee family seating and the disclosure of junk fees, which was temporarily blocked by a federal court. 

The department recently approved the Alaska-Hawaiian merger on the condition of certain consumer rights guarantees. 

The Biden administration took a stricter stance on airline consolidation, blocking the JetBlue-Spirit merger and striking down the Northeast Alliance, which was approved during Trump’s first term. 

Wall Street analysts have said they believe a Trump administration could be more friendly to mergers in the airline industry. At the Skift Aviation Forum in Dallas, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and JetBlue president Marty St. George both expressed interest in reviving a partnership in the Northeast, which is something the DOT would need to approve. 

“I do think it was pro-consumer for JetBlue and American to get together,” St. George said. “I certainly think there is a structure that could work going forward. We could work with other carriers too.”