Senate Confirms Sean Duffy As Trump’s Transportation Secretary

On Tuesday, the GOP-led Senate confirmed the nomination of Sean Duffy to become transportation secretary in President Donald Trump‘s second administration.

Senators voted 77-22 to confirm Duffy, a former Republican congressman from Wisconsin and ex-Fox Business host, who has pledged to focus on cutting red tape and improving travel safety in the Cabinet role. A number of Democrats joined with Republicans in approving the confirmation, but others voted against it amid a protest against Trump’s pause on federal grants and loans after the Senate unanimously advanced Duffy’s nomination the night before.

“Sean Duffy understands the transportation challenges that rural states like South Dakota face, and he’ll bring valuable experience that will help him manage our nation’s sprawling transportation system,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said on X. “I look forward to working with him in his new role.”

Trump announced the nomination in November, noting how Duffy worked with Democrats during his time in Congress to enact a $700 million project for the construction of a four-lane bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

“He will prioritize Excellence, Competence, Competitiveness, and Beauty when rebuilding America’s highways, tunnels, bridges, and airports,” Trump said. “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.”

Underscoring the bipartisan nature of Duffy’s support base, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the nominee at his confirmation hearing earlier this month, which was held by the Senate Commerce Committee.

“I am confident that Sean is the right person for this job in this upcoming administration,” Baldwin said. “I believe he will help deliver for Wisconsin families, businesses, and workers, and I expect that he will work through this committee and both sides of the aisle to improve our infrastructure and address the challenges that arise in the years ahead.”

Joined by his wife, Fox News personality Rachel Campos-Duffy, and their children, Duffy testified that if confirmed to lead the Department of Transportation (DOT), he would prioritize streamlining infrastructure projects, efficient use of taxpayer dollars, and travel safety.

“Transportation impacts every aspect of life, from efficiently and securely moving products to our ports to the ease of commuting from work, to school, but also to church on Sunday,” Duffy said. “Together with President Trump and this committee and the entire DOT team I would hope to usher in a golden age of transportation and travel.”

Duffy is the sixth person to obtain Senate approval to join Trump’s second-term Cabinet. Scott Bessent, the nominee to lead the Treasury Department, was confirmed on Monday night. The others include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Reports emerged on Tuesday saying Pete Buttigieg, who led DOT in the Biden administration, is considering a 2026 Senate campaign in Michigan as Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) announced he would not seek re-election.

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