Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has previewed his new travel reality show, “The Great American Road Trip.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his partner, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, filmed a five-part reality TV series with their nine children to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. However, his return to reality television has drawn criticism, with some calling the venture “tone deaf” amid the cost-of-living crisis and questioning his involvement in a series sponsored by travel companies regulated by his department.
Duffy previously appeared on MTV’s The Real World and Road Rules: All Stars. His return to reality TV surprised many this year.
The recently released trailer shows the Duffy family visiting various tourist spots across the country and interviewing Interior Secretary Doug Bergum and Kid Rock.
Wrong Timing
“So, gas up the car, pack up the kids, get behind the wheel, and get out and see America,” Duffy says in the trailer of The Great American Road Trip. These words come as gas prices in the United States have risen 50% since the U.S. began the war with Iran.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
The national average has climbed from $3 per gallon in February to $4.50. In California, drivers are paying $6 per gallon, while it’s close to $5 a gallon in Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Illinois, and Washington.
Flight prices have soared as well, driven by higher jet fuel costs. Spirit Airlines, struggling for years, cited this crisis as the final blow before shutting down last week. Airlines worldwide have scaled back operations and reduced flights, leaving customers with fewer options. Despite this, demand for travel remains high—the AAA expects 45 million people to travel over Memorial Day weekend.
Announcing the show on Fox News with his wife, Secretary Duffy said it was filmed over seven months. His admission has raised questions about his official duties, especially as the U.S. faces repeated issues with near-misses, collisions, and shutdowns.
Traveling in the U.S. has been chaotic for many months, and critics quickly noted that, while Duffy was filming the series, Americans have been struggling.
Last year, the federal government shutdown lasted 43 days, causing chaos at airports and national parks. The Federal Aviation Administration instructed airlines to cut back operations after air traffic controllers stopped coming to work. In 2026, a partial government shutdown caused further disruption, with 50,000 Transportation Security Administration employees working without pay for weeks and more than 1,100 TSA agents quitting. That shutdown lasted 75 days.
Conflict of Interest
Critics are also troubled by the corporate sponsors of the trip. Secretary Duffy said all expenses were covered by The Great American Roadtrip and that his family did not receive salaries or royalties. Still, the series lists Boeing, Toyota, Royal Caribbean, the U.S. Travel Association, and United Airlines as sponsors—companies regulated by the Department of Transportation.
Co-host Ana Navarro said on The View that the conflict of interest is clear. “I don’t know how many Americans, how many average Americans, will be able to go on a road trip when I’m paying $5.99 for a gallon of gas. It just seems that the tone deafness has no limits.”
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg described Duffy’s show as “out of touch.”
Sean Duffy tweeted that the ethics and budget officials at the DOT approved his participation, and the series was shot in one- to two-day production windows. He also described the trailer as wholesome and patriotic.
The radical, miserable left has noticed our awesome Great American Road Trip trailer…
and they hate it.
It’s too wholesome.
It’s too patriotic.
It’s too joyful.They’re upset because they don’t want you to celebrate America! And they definitely don’t want you to teach your…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 9, 2026
However, watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has called for the Inspector General to investigate Duffy’s participation. The group urged the Inspector General to determine whether the family received gifts, how much taxpayer money and staff time was used, and whether any personal expenses were reimbursed by the department.
