Sean Duffy's wife says Transportation gig was 'all that's left'

Despite serving as Transportation Secretary under President Donald Trump for more than a year, it wasn’t Sean Duffy’s first choice, according to recent comments made by his wife.

During an interview with Katie Miller on the Tuesday, Sept. 1 episode of "The Katie Miller Podcast," Duffy’s wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, said her husband ended up in the role because it was all that was left.

"He said he wanted to serve the president in any way," Campos-Duffy said. "He ended up in Transportation because that was all that’s left."

Duffy interjected, saying the president had pitched the job to him as the "best department," and emphasized Trump's focus on construction due to his background as a real estate developer.

"If I wasn’t the president, I would pick the Department of Transportation over any department. It’s the best department, and I’m going to give it to you," Duffy said Trump told him.

Who is Sean Duffy?

Duffy, 53, was confirmed in January 2025 by the Senate as U.S. Transportation Secretary.

His tenure was immediately marked by tragedy after a fatal aviation crash near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, DC, that killed 67 people.

At his confirmation hearing, Duffy said he would prioritize adding more air traffic controllers to improve aviation safety while promising to work with Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates Boeing, to restore international confidence in the plane manufacturer after fatal crashes overseas.

Before serving in the Trump administration, Duffy represented Wisconsin in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019.

But long before his political career, Duffy was a reality television star. He began his television career on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" during its sixth season and even met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, who hosts "Fox & Friends Weekend," while filming for an MTV show.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY Network

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.