New reality show, who dis? DOT Secretary, family to star in series

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been booked and busy.

In a May 8 appearance on Fox & Friends, the MTV alum revealed that he and his family spent time over a period of seven months filming a reality television show to celebrate America's 250th birthday this summer.

"And so, over the course of seven months, we just kind of found these moments where I might be able to do some work, I could take the kids with me. Do a road trip," Duffy said. "And our motto is 'To love America is to see America,' and there's so much to see in this beautiful country. We did that with our family."

Duffy's brief stint in reality television began in 1997 with his casting in MTV's "The Real World: Boston." He went on to appear in myriad of MTV shows, including the spinoff "Road Rules: All Stars," where he met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy.

Campos-Duffy said the couple was inspired to film their cross-country road trip after President Donald Trump encouraged Duffy and all Cabinet members to "do something" to celebrate the nation’s semi quincentennial in July.

"The president kicked us off, as you're seeing right now. We went to the Oval with the kids, by the way, who gets to do that. The kids were wildly excited, and he was so generous with his time, the president was," Duffy added.

Episodes of Duffy's new reality show "The Great American Road Trip" will drop on YouTube beginning in June. A description accompanying the trailer describes the five-part exploration as an "unforgettable civic experience."

Pete Buttigieg calls project 'brutally out of touch'

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is definitely not as excited as the Duffy clan, calling the reality show "brutally out of touch."

"I love a good road trip, but this is brutally out of touch: a Trump Cabinet member making a documentary about himself while regular families can’t afford road trips anymore, because Trump and his war put gas prices through the roof" Buttigieg wrote in a May 8 social media post.

Since the United States and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, the daily average price per gallon for regular gasoline has increased by 52% The average price per gallon for diesel is also up by 50%

'Don’t let the haters stop you,' Duffy says

Duffy addressed the backlash surrounding the upcoming reality show in a May 9 X post, writing that "the radical, miserable left has noticed our awesome Great American Road Trip trailer… and they hate it."

"It’s too wholesome. It’s too patriotic. It’s too joyful," Duffy added.

According to The Great American Road Trip's official website, the project "fully funds its own efforts to celebrate and share America’s story." Boeing, Toyota and Shell were among the lists of sponsors "powering" the project.

Elsewhere in the Fox & Friends interview, Campos-Duffy said that she and her family did the reality series for free, saying that their goal was to share it on YouTube so the "whole country" could see it.

Duffy echoed a similar sentiment, writing in the post that neither he, nor his family "received a salary or production royalties." Duffy further clarified that the series was filmed in "short, one-to-two-day production windows."

"Don’t let the haters stop you from visiting our spectacular national parks, monuments and sights in honor of America’s 250th birthday!" Duffy wrote.

"Our message is really simple: to love America is to see America. So put the phone down, hit the open road, and rediscover what makes America great."

When asked to provide comment, the Department of Transportation directed USA TODAY to Duffy's post.