Economist Robert Reich has criticized Transport Secretary Sean Duffy‘s reality TV show, flagging its funding by transport industry stakeholders, as ordinary Americans continue to pay higher prices for gas.
Robert Reich Flags Sponsorships
In a post on X on Monday, Reich criticized the President Donald Trump administration’s handling of the Iran war. “While millions of Americans struggle to afford soaring gas prices due to Trump's war on Iran, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is focused on releasing a road trip reality tv show,” he said.
He then hinted at possible conflicts of interest with the show, citing sponsorships from companies like Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA), Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE:TM) and Shell PLC (NYSE:SHEL) “that his department regulates.”
Notably, the official website for the show lists all three companies as sponsors alongside Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG), United Airlines Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:UAL) and more.
Rep. Jerry Nadler Slams Duffy
Duffy was also criticized by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) amid the reality TV show reveal. “No wonder the Department of Transportation is a mess,” Nadler said, adding that it was because Duffy was “busy chasing his reality TV star dreams” instead of serving American travelers.
He then called on Duffy to “pause” his “Hollywood dreams” and “do the job taxpayers are paying for.” He urged Duffy not to block programs like congestion pricing and infrastructure projects in New York and work towards “protecting travelers who are sick of aviation incidents, surging fuel costs, and greedy corporations running wild.”
The Great American Road Trip
Duffy has come under fire since the reveal of “The Great American Road Trip” as Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) delivered sharp criticism of the Transport Secretary, calling him a “total disgrace” for filming the show as Americans continued to grapple with rising fuel costs.
Meanwhile, Duffy defended the show, saying that it was produced without using any taxpayer dollars and that it was shot over seven months on weekends and Spring Break with his family.
Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by following this link.
Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com
Login to comment