Wisconsin, United States:
Donald Trump has nominated Fox Business host Sean Duffy to be the next Transportation Secretary. The former congressman will replace Pete Buttigieg in January to oversee a huge federal portfolio of infrastructure spending and transit regulations.
Here are 10 facts about Sean Duffy, latest to join Trmp’s Cabinet:
- Sean Duffy was born on October 3, 1971, in Hayward, Wisconsin. He was part of a large family and was the 10th of 11 children his parents had. He has a marketing degree from St. Mary’s University, and a JD degree from William Mitchell College of Law.
- Sean Duffy is the second Fox News host to join Donald Trump’s cabinet after Pete Hegseth was nominated Defence Secretary. He is married to another Fox News personality Rachel Campos-Duffy.
- Sean Duffy and his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy have 9 children – Evita Pilar, Xavier Jack, Lucia-Belen, John-Paul, Paloma Pilar, MariaVictoria Margarita, Margarita Pilar, Patrick Miguel and StellaMaris.
- Sean Duffy first met his future wife on the set of MTV’s ‘Road Rules: All Stars’ in 1998. They had appeared separately on MTV’s Real World programs. While Sean Duffy was on The Real World: Boston, his future wife Rachel was on The Real World: San Francisco.
- Mr Duffy was also an athlete. He holds two speed-climbing titles. He had started log rolling when he was 5 years old and speed climbing at the age of 13. He has even appeared as a commentator for ESPN’s ‘Great Outdoor Games’.
- Sean Duffy had entered the US Congress during the Tea Party wave of the early 2010s. He later went on to become an ally of Donald Trump
- Before becoming a Congressman, he was a practicing lawyer and had worked as a district attorney for more than 8 years.
- He served in the House of Representatives for nearly nine years, where he was a member of the Financial Services Committee.
- Mr Duffy quit in 2019 when he and his wife found out that their ninth child had a heart condition. Speaking about his resignation at the time, Mr Duffy had said that being away from his family for four days every week to serve in Congress was difficult. He had said “I have always been open to signs from God when it comes to balancing my desire to serve both my family and my country. I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now.”
- Announcing Mr Duffy’s nomination on Truth Social, Donald Trump said the incoming Transportation Secretary was a tremendous and well-liked public servant, admired across the aisle. “He will prioritise excellence, competence, competitiveness and beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” Mr Trump said.
