Sean Duffy and Rachel Campos-Duffy Started in Reality TV Before Moving to Politics

Reality TV is all over Trump's second White House administration, and he just added another veteran of that world to his cabinet. Trump announced that Sean Duffy, a former congressman and one-time Real World star, will serve as his transportation secretary.

Following the news that he would be playing a key role in the next administration, many wanted to learn more about his relationship with his wife, former reality star and conservative commentator Rachel Campos-Duffy. Here's what we know about their relationship and how the two first got together.

Rachel and Sean are both alums of The Real World, but they appeared in different seasons of the MTV reality series. Their paths didn't cross until a few years later when they were both on Road Rules: All Stars. The two were married in 1999 and eventually made the transition from reality television and sports (where Sean worked as a color commentator) into politics.

Sean was appointed the Ashland County District Attorney in 2002, and held that seat in Wisconsin through 2010, often running unopposed for the seat. At that point, he moved into national politics, running for a seat in the House of Representatives in 2010. He retained that seat in Wisconsin's seventh district until 2019 when he resigned in order to take care of a baby he was expecting with Rachel who had a heart defect and other health complications.

"I will miss being your Congressman, but I am also looking forward to having more time with my family, being home for more birthdays and hockey games, and having time to enjoy and care for our new baby girl, who is already so loved by our family," he said.

In that same timespan, Rachel had begun hosting a local TV show in Wisconsin and also repeatedly served as a guest host on The View.

The baby that Sean resigned his seat in Congress to care for was the couple's ninth child. After returning to Wisconsin to care for his children full-time, both Sean and Rachel assumed roles on Fox News. Rachel became a permanent host of Fox & Friends Weekend in 2021, and Sean began serving as host of The Bottom Line, a Fox Business show that began airing in 2023.

Now, it seems that Sean and Rachel are headed back to Washington, D.C. at least part time so that Sean can serve as Transportation secretary. Among the many cabinet appointments that Trump has made, Sean's is likely to be one of the less controversial.

"Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin's 7th Congressional District," Trump said in his announcement on Monday. "Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and fulfill our mission of ushering in the golden age of travel."