Trump taps former congressman Sean Duffy as transportation secretary

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Fox host and former Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy to be secretary of transportation. Duffy, a former television personality, served as a Republican House Representative for Wisconsin's 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2019. He is now a co-host of "The Bottom Line" on Fox Business, Xinhua news agency reported. "During his time in Congress, Sean was a respected voice and communicator in the Republican Conference, advocating for Fiscal Responsibility, Economic Growth, and Rural Development," Trump said in a statement on his social media platform Truth Social.

Duffy is the second television host from the Fox network to be appointed to a cabinet position in Trump's new administration. The president-elect previously announced that he had picked Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as his defence secretary. Since winning the presidential election on November 6, Trump has been quickly announcing his intended Cabinet nominations. Last week, Trump named hardline Republican congressman Matt Gaetz as attorney general, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security and former Georgia congressman Doug Collins as secretary for veterans affairs.

Trump tapped Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who ran as an independent in the 2024 presidential race and then endorsed Trump, to lead the Health and Human Services Department, and selected Chris Wright, the CEO of an oilfield services company, as his pick to be the next secretary of energy. With the Republican Party gaining a majority in the Senate and presidential appointments typically requiring only a simple majority of 51 votes for confirmation, Trump faces fewer obstacles in advancing his cabinet choices. However, some of his nominations have sparked concerns even among Republicans, leaving it unclear whether they will receive full Republican backing.