US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is facing serious criticism over his new reality show, The Great American Road Trip, which is set to air on YouTube. The show follows Duffy, his wife, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, and their nine children as they travel across the country, made to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
Gas prices have risen to over $4.50 per gallon, a 50% increase since the US entered into war with Iran in late February. Many critics say that launching a road trip reality show at a time when families are struggling to afford gas is completely tone-deaf.
According to NBC News, in the show’s trailer, Duffy says, “The motto is: To love America is to see America. It’s more than a road trip. It’s a civic experience. It’s one of the most powerful ways to understand the vast, beautiful, complicated place we call home.” The show was filmed over seven months and features the Duffy family traveling across the country.
The backlash from politicians and the public has been sharp and hard to ignore
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was one of the first to publicly criticize the show. “I love a good road trip, but this is brutally out of touch: a Trump Cabinet member making a documentary about himself while regular families can’t afford road trips anymore, because Trump and his war put gas prices through the roof,” he wrote on X.
Duffy, who has also made headlines for his ambitious plans for a moonbase by 2027, continues to draw attention for his bold and often controversial moves. Other Democratic politicians also spoke out. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wrote on X, “While you can’t afford a trip for your family this summer, you just paid for Sean Duffy’s 7-month road trip at $4.55 per gallon of gas.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom added, “The fact that Duffy is promoting a road trip while gas prices are soaring is a slap in the face to working families.” The Transportation Department has said that all production costs for the show were covered by a nonprofit group called The Great American Road Trip Inc.
However, critics have raised ethics concerns because several of the show’s sponsors, including Boeing, Toyota, and Shell, are companies that Duffy’s own department oversees and regulates. Boeing, Shell, and Royal Caribbean Group did not respond to requests for comment.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has faced pushback over questionable decisions, as seen when Ted Cruz slammed Trump’s airline bailout plan for a carrier that had declared bankruptcy twice. Critics have also questioned how much time Duffy spent on his official duties while filming the show over seven months.
According to The Guardian, in response to criticism from Chasten Glezman Buttigieg, the husband of Pete Buttigieg, Rachel Campos-Duffy wrote on X: “You and I both know that my husband has done more in one year to transform the DOT and ATC than your husband did in over 4 years on the job.”
The show’s trailer has been viewed millions of times on YouTube, drawing widespread anger on social media. Many viewers have pointed to the sponsors and the timing of the show as clear examples of how out of touch the decision was, particularly as American families continue to struggle with high gas prices and the rising cost of everyday goods.
Published: May 11, 2026 01:09 pm