Planes, Highways and Outer Space Keep Duffy Busy

Sean Duffy. Photo from the US Government.

Whatever you think of Sean Duffy, Hayward, Wisconsin’s native son has had a busy year.

He’s dealt with the worst air collision in decades, angered airline passengers by closing airports, had his portfolio expanded to include outer space and forced commercial truck drivers who don’t speak English off the road. He also asked that passengers not fly in their pajamas and suggested installing pull-up bars in airports.

It was a surprise appointment by a surprising president-elect Donald Trump on Nov. 18, 2024.

“Sean Duffy will prioritize excellence, competence, competitiveness and beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges and airports. He will ensure our ports and dams serve our economy without compromising our national security, and he will make our skies safe again by eliminating DEI for pilots and air traffic controllers.”

Trump named the 54-year-old Duffy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It was the next career move for the former world champion lumberjack (90-foot speed climb), reality TV star, Ashland County district attorney, U.S. House member and Fox News co-host.

Trump also said Duffy’s family qualified him for the job.

“The husband of a wonderful woman, Rachel Campos-Duffy, a STAR on Fox News, and the father of nine incredible children, Sean knows how important it is for families to be able to travel safely.”

Hours after the Senate confirmed him, the collision of a military helicopter and a commercial flight near Reagan National Airport in Washington killed 67.

“I’ve been the secretary for a little over a day, and the tragedy that we’re going to deal with — with this recovery — I think is touching everyone’s hearts,” Duffy said. “I will tell you with complete confidence that we have the safest airspace in the world.”

Less than four months later, Duffy said the nation’s air traffic system needs a top-to-bottom reinvention that will cost an additional $19 billion, in addition to $12 billion already approved.

“Decades of neglect have left us with an outdated system that is showing its age. Building this new system is an economic and national security necessity, and the time to fix it is now,” Duffy said.

On July 28, Trump named Duffy acting administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the agency refereeing the fight between billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos for dominance of outer space.

NASA’s official biography of Duffy also notes his Wisconsin roots and marriage.

“As the 10th of 11 siblings in a large Irish Catholic family, he learned the enduring value of cooperation and compromise…[Duffy and Rachel Campos-Duffy] are America’s first and longest-married reality TV couple. They have been married for 25 years and have nine children together.”

The New York Times reported that one of those children, Evita Duffy-Alfonso, last week said she had been subject to an “absurdly invasive pat-down” at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint that prompted her to vow, if her father could, he would try to abolish TSA.

Evita’s husband, Michael Alfonso, is one of several Republicans running for northwest Wisconsin’s 7th District House seat that his father-in-law once held. The seat is open because incumbent Republican Tom Tiffany is running for governor.

In November, Duffy angered fliers by announcing a reduction in commercial airline flights due to a shortage of air traffic controllers after the federal government’s funding shutdown.

“My department has many responsibilities, but our number one job is safety,” Duffy said. “This isn’t about politics – it’s about assessing the data and alleviating building risk in the system as controllers continue to work without pay.”

That same month, Duffy announced a “Golden Age of Travel Starts With You” campaign. “Dress up to go to the airport, help a stranger out and be in a good mood.”

In a social media post, Duffy said there has been a “400% increase in outbursts on planes since 2019, one in five flight attendants report experiencing physical incidents [and] unruly passenger events DOUBLED since 2019.”

And, the former lumberjack champion suggested, “Having pull-up bars in airports means you can stay fit while traveling…Challenge your friends and family during a layover. The downside is your daughter might beat you.”

That drew an angry social media response: “So we couldn’t pay TSA agents during the shutdown, but we can afford to install a pull-up bar in airports?…I would prefer a chapel so we can pray our planes don’t crash into each other.”

In addition to the commercial airline industry and outer space, Duffy also focused on highway safety.

“We’ve now knocked 9,500 truck drivers out of service for failing to speak our national language — ENGLISH!” Duffy said in an X post. “This administration will always put you and your family’s safety first.”

In another social media post, Duffy introduced the “Stars and Steel Corvette, celebrating America’s 250th birthday.”

Although Chevrolet hasn’t yet officially priced that ‘Vette, how many of them will be sold in Hayward?

Steven Walters started covering the Capitol in 1988. Contact him at stevenscotwalters@gmail.com