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President-elect Trump’s nominee for US Transportation Secretary has vowed to prioritize safety, restore public trust in Boeing, continue investigations into Tesla’s autonomous driving, and invest in bipartisan infrastructure projects to modernize the nation’s transportation systems.
Some shit you should know before you read: Shortly after President-elect Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, Trump nominated Sean Duffy as his choice for US Transportation Secretary. Duffy, a former five-term Republican congressman from Wisconsin, became a Fox News personality and co-host of “The Bottom Line” on Fox Business. During his time in Congress, Duffy served on the House Financial Services Committee, with some involvement in transportation policy. After leaving Congress in 2019, he also worked as a lobbyist. Despite his limited transportation background, Duffy has garnered bipartisan support for his nomination and is expected to be confirmed.

What’s going on now: During his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, Sean Duffy outlined his priorities as President-elect Trump’s nominee for US Transportation Secretary, focusing heavily on safety and infrastructure reform. Duffy vowed to restore global confidence in Boeing after a series of safety failures, including a near-tragic incident involving a door blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9. He said that “Boeing needs tough love” and committed to working with the FAA and Congress to enforce the company’s safety plans, meet with crash victims’ families from 2018 and 2019, and listen to whistleblowers.
Concerns were also raised about Duffy’s stance on Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, a known Trump mega-donor. Senators questioned whether Musk’s influence over Trump could interfere with federal investigations into Tesla’s autonomous driving technology, including its Full Self-Driving software, which is currently under scrutiny for its involvement in multiple crashes. Duffy assured the Senate that he would allow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to continue its probe into Tesla “objectively” and without interference. He added that he had not met with Musk or Tesla executives and vowed to stay impartial.
Additionally, Duffy promised to review FAA fines against Musk’s SpaceX for alleged license violations during two 2023 rocket launches, indicating that he would uphold federal oversight despite Musk’s ties to the Trump administration.
This all comes as outgoing Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg leaves office after spending much of his tenure focused on holding airlines accountable for service disruptions, passenger rights, and safety concerns. Buttigieg gained attention for pressuring airlines to address delays, cancellations, and refund policies. In contrast, Duffy, during his confirmation hearing, emphasized the need to restore trust in aviation manufacturers and rebuild US infrastructure rather than targeting airlines directly.