Who is Sean Duffy, the public face of the federal government's response to the DC plane crash?

Who is Sean Duffy, the public face of the federal government's response to the DC plane crash?
January 30th, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) - Sean Duffy, the new transport secretary, is facing his first major crisis just hours after he took office.

Duffy, who was sworn in on Tuesday, emerged as the face of the federal government's response to the plane crash at Reagan National Airport, the closest airport to the nation's capital. A military helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet that had 60 passengers and four crew members on board as it was coming in to land on Wednesday, before it slammed into the icy Potomac River. It looks like this will be the worst U.S. air crash in recent memory, and everyone onboard is presumed dead.

Here is what you need to know about Duffy:

He was a star on MTV's The Real World, a lumberjack, and a congressman from Wisconsin

A former Republican congressman from Wisconsin, Duffy has also worked as a lumberjack athlete, reality TV star, prosecutor, and Fox News host.

He appeared on the MTV show 'The Real World: Boston' in 1997 and met his wife, 'Fox & Friends Weekend' co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy, on the set of MTV's 'Road Rules: All Stars' in 1998.

Duffy also practiced as a special prosecutor and was the district attorney of Ashland County in northwestern Wisconsin. He won a seat in Congress as part of the tea party wave in 2010.

An underdog who served nine years

When he first ran for Congress, Duffy was something of a underdog. But he captured national attention with his campaign ads that showed him dramatically chopping wood while wearing a red flannel shirt. He told voters he came from a 'long line of lumberjacks' and would bring his axe to Washington.

Duffy was in the House for almost nine years. He was a member of the Financial Services Committee and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Insurance and Housing.

One of the biggest Fox News supporters.

After leaving Congress in 2019 to care for his growing family, Duffy became a Fox News contributor and one of Trump's most visible champions on cable news. He served as co-host of 'The Bottom Line' on Fox Business before being picked for the new administration.

He was one of several Fox personalities that Trump picked to fill his Cabinet, including Pete Hegseth, the new defense secretary.

A father of nine.

Duffy has nine children, the youngest of whom was born with a heart problem.

In announcing his pick, Trump noted that "Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely, and with peace of mind."

Because of his large family, Duffy will have sympathy with the crash victims' families, said Mark Graul, a long-time Republican operative in Wisconsin who has known Duffy for more than 25 years.

"When you have the size of family he has, empathy is part of the process there," Graul said. "He's going to want to bring certainty to everyone who is hurting from this."

Graul said Duffy is an "incredibly decent person" and "very approachable," which will help him as he tries to make his way through this crash.

"'His family is the center of his universe and more than most politicians he cares a great deal about being successful," Graul said. "He doesn't want to just do things to get attention. He likes having success."

A sprawling agency

The Transportation Department is in charge of the nation's growing and aging transportation network, including its highways, railroads, and airspace. It sets safety standards for trains, cars and trucks.

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The department controls the airline industry through the Federal Aviation Administration, which has been dealing with a shortage of air traffic controllers. The agency also includes the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which regulates automakers and sets fuel economy standards for cars and trucks.

In his statement announcing the pick, Trump had said Duffy would "prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness and Beauty when rebuilding America's highways, tunnels, bridges and airports" and said he would "make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers." DEI refers to "diversity, equity and inclusion" programs, which Trump has sought to prohibit through federal action since returning to office.

His first act after taking the oath of office was to loosen fuel mileage standards set by the Biden administration.

His confirmation hearing

During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Duffy had promised to scrutinize Boeing's safety problems and "restore world confidence" in the company by hiring more air traffic controllers. (The plane involved in Wednesday night's collision was a CRJ-700 built by Canada-based Bombardier.)
As for his agenda, Duffy also said he would end DEI programs at the agency and promulgate federal rules for self-driving cars as opposed to letting the matter be settled by a patchwork of state regulations, something that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has pushed for while running Trump's government efficiency effort.

Duffy told lawmakers that he would not influence agency investigations into Musk's electric car company over the safety of Tesla vehicles.

He was approved by a 77-22 bipartisan vote.

___ The Associated Press's Scott Bauer contributed to this report from Madison, Wisconsin.

Shandor Brenner

Shandor Brenner is an American journalist recognized for his sharp and insightful reporting on social and political issues. His work is known for its depth, integrity, and the ability to highlight critical societal concerns.

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