President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former congressman and Fox Business host Sean Duffy to lead the Department of Transportation.

Duffy, one of Trump’s most outspoken defenders on cable news, is the second Fox commentator picked for the new Cabinet.

If confirmed, he will take charge of aviation, automotive, rail, transit and other transport policy at the transport department, with an annual budget of around $110 billion (£86 billion).

“Sean has been a great and beloved public servant,” Trump wrote in an announcement on Truth Social, adding that Duffy was “admired across the aisle.”

Trump said Duffy would use his experience in Congress “to preserve and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and fulfill our mission of ushering in the Golden Age of Travel, with an emphasis on safety, efficiency and innovation”.

“As the husband of an incredible woman, Fox News star Rachel Campos-Duffy, and father of nine wonderful children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely and with peace of mind,” the spokesperson said. said the president-elect.

Before beginning his career in public service, Duffy was a prosecutor and a reality TV star. He appeared on several shows, including The Real World: Boston and Road Rules: All Stars.

In 2011, he was elected as a Republican to represent Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served until 2019.

If confirmed, he will succeed Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was nominated by President Joe Biden in 2021.

The Department of Transportation has nearly 55,000 employees and leads the nation’s efforts in safety, sustainability and efficiency in travel and transportation.

The incoming secretary will continue to face a number of safety-related aviation issues, including the ongoing troubles at Boeing, as the troubled manufacturer addresses a range of safety and quality issues.

The threat of labor action also looms, as does potential unrest if Trump makes good on his campaign promise to roll back the Biden administration’s new rules on vehicle emissions.

Since his resounding election victory earlier this month, Trump has steadily named those he wants to fill high positions in his administration, apparently favoring close allies over those with related policy experience.