U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy clears the roads of antisemitism

A few years ago and in the months following the October 7th attacks on Israel, I had the opportunity to meet U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Sean Duffy is an American politician, attorney, and former television personality who is serving as the 20th United States Secretary of Transportation since January 2025. Duffy previously served as the acting administrator of NASA from July to December 2025. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Wisconsin’s seventh congressional district from 2011 to 2019 and the district attorney of Ashland County, Wisconsin from 2002 to 2010. But outside of his past achievements and his nomination by President Trump to be the US Transportation Secretary, there is another notable achievement that must be known and that is his dedication to Israel and the Jewish people.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has intersected with Israel-related issues primarily through his condemnation of anti-Israel protests disrupting transportation hubs and navigating the logistical impacts of geopolitical conflicts involving Israel. U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy has established a strong, long-standing pro-Israel track record throughout his political career. As a former Republican Congressman from Wisconsin and a member of the Trump administration, his positions align closely with traditional conservative support for Israel. During his time in Congress, Duffy frequently stated, “I stand with Israel,” and maintained close ties with pro-Israel advocacy organizations. Duffy has expressed explicit personal support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, noting that it was an honor to meet him in Israel.

Some of the key connections between Sean Duffy and Israel-related matters include the Grand Central Station Protests. In April 2025, an anti-Israel protest organized by the antisemitic and pro-terror group Within Our Lifetime (WOL) occupied and shut down Grand Central Station in New York City. Duffy clashed publicly with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), calling it “disgusting” to see “antisemitic mobs shutting down transit centers” and criticizing the agency’s handling and framing of the incident. As a Jewish Financial professional living in New York, I was able to witness this firsthand and can attest to the fact that Transportation Secretary Duffy took a stand for both Israel and the Jewish people and rightfully so.

Another example of Duffy’s dedication to Israel was in regards to the Harvard Controversy Over Israel and Values.  In August 2026, Duffy and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, publicly shared a family dilemma regarding their daughter Paloma’s interest in attending Harvard University. While expressing deep concern that the Ivy League school could corrupt her Catholic faith, the discussion was heavily tied to broader Trump administration tensions with Harvard over campus climate. This included reports of Jewish students being harassed and intimidated on campus following the escalation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, in which antisemitism was allowed to go unchecked and rapid on Campus. In response (or in lack thereof), the President of the University and the Institution as whole shamefully did nothing about it.

    This past summer, America just wrapped up a blockbuster summer for travel, as President Trump and Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy pointed to a World Cup-fueled tourism boom and record-breaking travel numbers. Alongside travel and hospitality executives, Trump said the tournament generated more than $18 billion for the U.S. economy, supported more than 160,000 jobs and gave local businesses a major boost. He also highlighted record traffic on the nation’s roads, in the skies, and at national parks as signs of a strong summer economy. With all of the accomplishments and success that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has had thus far, the crowning achievement in my eyes will always be his standing up for Israel and getting rid of the congestion that we know of as antisemitism and baseless hatred today.