A company that was approached to sponsor a new reality show featuring Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy chose not to participate due to ethical concerns, according to a recent report. The show, titled The Great American Road Trip, will be a five-part series released on YouTube for free next month as part of the celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary. The project has already faced criticism from some nonprofit organizations and Democratic politicians.
The production costs of the show are being covered by Great American Road Trip Inc., a nonprofit organization led by Tori Barnes, who previously worked as a lobbyist for the U.S. Travel Association. Several major corporations, including Toyota and Boeing, have also provided sponsorship for the project, as stated on the nonprofit's website.
However, one company declined to support the initiative after being contacted by Barnes’ group, according to Politico. The outlet did not name the company but cited an unnamed source who expressed ethical concerns about the proposal. “You’re paying for access through Tori’s group. This is a little too cute,” the source said.
When asked for a response, Barnes told The Independent: “The source is anonymous because it’s a lie.” She further explained, “There are dozens of people that the Secretary met with out on the road: port directors, small business owners in every destination, transportation experts, aquariums, destination leaders and many more that are not paying partners.”
“Secretary Duffy is the most accessible Secretary we have ever seen, just in the past few weeks he did an event with Amtrak, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and many more that one can see through X and Instagram posts: None of them are [Great American Road Trip] partners,” she added.
The Transportation Department confirmed that Barnes’ nonprofit covered the show’s production costs. A spokesperson for the department stated: “The Secretary’s participation in the Great American Roadtrip was approved by USDOT career ethic attorneys. No taxpayer dollars were used for production costs nor did the family receive any compensation for their participation.”
“Celebrating America’s 250th is part of the Secretary’s official duties and the series will showcase America’s roads, landmarks, infrastructure, and people,” the spokesperson added.
The project has drawn attention, including from the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has requested the Transportation Department’s inspector general to investigate whether Duffy violated federal gift and travel rules.
Duffy criticized the “radical, miserable left” after the show’s trailer received negative feedback last week. “They’re upset because they don’t want you to celebrate America! And they definitely don’t want you to teach your kids civics & patriotism. So they tell lies to undermine the mission,” he wrote on X.
According to Barnes, the project is based on three main principles:
- To celebrate America’s 250th birthday
- To promote travel and tourism
- To focus on the transportation, infrastructure, and ingenuity that built America over the past 250 years and will build America over the next 250 years
“We are supported by partners who share these goals and believe in encouraging Americans to rediscover the people, places, and experiences that define our country,” she added.
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