The first time American audiences met Sean Duffy, he was in his twenties and grinning at The real world Boston caravan and radiates bad “vibes” after inquiring about a hot tub. The reality TV cast member later went on to serve in the House of Representatives in 2011, representing Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. The Republican and die-hard Trump supporter left Congress in 2019 and returned to the screen to co-host The bottom line on Fox Business.

On Monday, fellow reality TV personality and President-elect Donald Trump nominated Duffy as the next secretary of the Department of Transportation and in the next White House administration.

The announcement comes as Trump followed up his election victory earlier this month by tapping an array of devout fanatics and conspiracy theorists to lead the country’s immigration enforcement, environmental protection, homeland security, foreign policy, national security and more. While Trump’s first term as president faced significant opposition from the courts — 246 regulations, guidance documents and memorandums were challenged at the federal level, with his administration winning 54 of the cases — the newly elected president will enter a second term under the control of the Republican Party. of the House and the Senate.

Duffy is the second Fox News pundit tapped by Trump, and the first former Real world cast member nominated.

“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he built over many years in Congress to preserve and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and fulfill our mission: ushering in the Golden Age of Travel, with the emphasis on safety, efficiency and innovation,” Trump praised. in a statement on Truth Social.

Trump added that Duffy “will ensure that our ports and dams serve our economy without endangering our national security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.”

Earlier this year, a series of alarming incidents involving Boeing’s 737 Max models were used to launch a baseless campaign that pointed the finger at its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies for aircraft safety issues. While there is no evidence that recruiting pilots who are not white men (still the vast majority of the profession) puts airline passengers at risk, it appears that the DEI talking point will play a major role in Duffy’s recent appointment by Trump.

Duffy previously lobbied the Department of Transportation in 2021, according to federal lobbying filings, on behalf of a major oil and gas pipeline company. The former congressman previously served on the advisory board of BGR Group, one of the top-performing lobbying firms in the world. .

As head of the Department of Transportation, Duffy would take over from Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was appointed in February 2021. Elaine Chao led the department during Trump’s first administration. Following the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Cho resigned a day after the insurrection.

Cho called the riot a “traumatic and completely avoidable event when supporters of the president” stormed the building. She added that it had “deeply disturbed me in a way that I simply cannot put aside.”