Trump taps former attorney general and Fox Business host for Transportation Secretary | 2024 US election

US president-elect says former Wisconsin congressman Sean Duffy will usher in a ‘golden age of travel’.

President-elect of the United States Donald Trump has appointed the former member of Congress who has become Fox Business as his Secretary of Transportation.

In a statement announcing his nomination on Monday, Trump described Sean Duffy as a “great and beloved public servant” who will usher in “an era of progress”.

“He will prioritize efficiency, efficiency, competitiveness and excellence as he rebuilds America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports,” Trump said.

“You’re going to make sure our ports and dams serve our economy without jeopardizing our national security, and you’re going to make our skies safer by ending DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers,” Trump said, referring to diversity, equity and employment programs. , which conservatives say puts important factors such as race and gender above merit and performance.

Duffy, who left Congress in 2019 citing the need to spend more time with his family, is the second Fox host to be tapped by Trump, after he chose Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Trump’s nomination of Duffy, a contributor to Fox Business’s The Bottom Line who represented the state of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019, comes as America’s transportation sector faces challenges — from the post-COVID outbreak to road deaths and quality control issues. to Boeing’s major airline raising questions about train safety following the 2023 exit from East Palestine, Ohio.

If confirmed by the US Senate, Duffy will oversee the fledgling department that employs about 55,000 people and operates nearly a dozen transportation-related agencies.

Agencies under the department’s budget include the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates automakers like Tesla, which is run by billionaire Elon Musk, who has been appointed to head the “Department of Public Works.” in incoming administration.

Duffy, a staunch defender of Trump in Congress and on Fox, will replace Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a nominee of President Joe Biden.

Trump previously encouraged Duffy to run for Wisconsin’s 2022 gubernatorial election, praising him as “unbeatable,” but the former congressman declined.

Before entering politics, Duffy gained recognition in the 1990s as a star of MTV’s The Real World: Boston and Road Rules: All Stars.