Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is defending his forthcoming reality series, "The Great American Road Trip," after the trailer drew harsh criticism online. In a Fox News interview last Friday, Duffy said he wanted to "lean into America's 250th birthday" with the five-part YouTube series chronicling his seven-month journey across the U.S. with his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, and their nine children.
Trailer and Show Details
The trailer, released last week, features the Duffys visiting President Donald Trump at the White House and traveling to cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as rural areas in Utah and Arizona. "The motto is, 'To love America is to see America,'" Duffy says in the clip. "It's more than a road trip. It's a civic experience. It's one of the most powerful ways to understand the vast, beautiful, complicated place we call home." Duffy, who appeared on MTV's "The Real World: Boston" before entering politics, noted that he and Campos-Duffy met on a road trip for "Road Rules: All Stars." The first episodes are set to drop on YouTube in June.
Backlash and Criticism
The announcement was met with blistering criticism, with many pointing to issues like soaring gas prices and high-profile aviation accidents affecting the transit sector. Critics also raised conflict-of-interest concerns, as sponsors like Royal Caribbean Group, Toyota, and United Airlines are overseen by Duffy's department. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wrote on X, "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." Brenna Parker, a former digital director, called it "a gross misuse of public resources." On YouTube, one commenter compared it to "going on a foodie tour during the Great Depression."
Duffy's Response
Duffy responded on X, accusing the "radical, miserable left" of hating the series because it's "too wholesome" and "too patriotic." He emphasized that production costs were not taxpayer-funded and that he and his family received no salary or royalties. He also stated that the plans were approved by career ethics and budget officials at the Department of Transportation. The department issued a statement noting that the production company is independent and that donation decisions are theirs.
