Rachel Campos-Duffy, a co-host on Fox & Friends and the wife of Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, got into a heated argument on X after critics pointed out that her family’s new road trip show is sponsored by companies her husband regulates. Chasten Buttigieg, husband of former Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg, slammed the show as a “multi-month, taxpayer-funded family road trip” while gas prices continue to rise.
According to The Daily Beast, Campos-Duffy fired back at Buttigieg, saying, “Stand down, Chas,” and insisted the show was a civic adventure meant to encourage Americans to “get off couches & screens.” But critics are pointing out that the show’s sponsors (Boeing, Shell, Toyota, and United Airlines) are all companies that Sean Duffy directly oversees as Transport Secretary.
The Great American Road Trip is a five-part series set to air on YouTube, following the Duffys and their nine children on a cross-country trip. Sean Duffy told viewers in the trailer that he fit the seven-month shoot around his duties as a member of Trump’s Cabinet.
The conflict of interest allegations surrounding the show are hard to ignore
Ethics experts have raised concerns about the sponsorship, saying it is a clear conflict of interest for Duffy to be associated with companies his own department regulates. Sean Duffy has pushed back, saying that the department’s career ethics and budget officials reviewed and cleared his participation in the show. Duffy has also made headlines recently for challenging RFK Jr. to a fitness showdown that took an unexpected turn.
Democrats have been vocal in their criticism. Chasten Buttigieg called the show “brutally out of touch,” and he was joined by California Governor Gavin Newsom and Illinois Governor JB Pritzket. Newsom pointed to a number of fatal air travel accidents that occurred while Duffy was filming, including a person who was struck and killed by a plane during takeoff at Denver International Airport.
Critics are also calling the show tone-deaf given the current state of the economy and rising gas prices, which have reached a national average of $4.55 a gallon. The timing of the show’s release has drawn sharp attention, as it comes during a period of multiple aviation incidents under Duffy’s watch.
Sean Duffy has defended himself against the aviation safety criticism, with the Trump administration previously blaming an earlier accident on Biden-era diversity initiatives. However, questions remain about his ability to effectively regulate the industry while simultaneously promoting a show backed by companies within it. Duffy also previously denied that the Iran war hurt Spirit Airlines just hours after the airline’s CEO warned that other carriers could be next.
The Department of Transportation and the White House have both been contacted for comment but have not yet responded. As the backlash grows, it remains to be seen how Sean Duffy and his wife will address the mounting questions around the show’s sponsorship and timing.
Published: May 12, 2026 01:15 pm