Sean and Rachel Duffy are not about to let the liberal peanut gallery ruin their American road trip.
The conservative couple behind Fox Nations newest patriotic show, “The Great American Road Trip,” hit back [1] hard after former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband Chasten took a break from social media virtue signaling to dump on the project.
The Buttigiegs launched into full meltdown mode when the Duffys announced their family’s cross country adventure, accusing them of wasting taxpayer dollars and being oblivious to struggling Americans.
Chasten Buttigieg called it a “multi month taxpayer funded family road trip” and complained about the Duffys celebrating America while gas prices soar, which he insisted were the fault of “Trump’s war of choice.”
Rachel Campos Duffy, who hosts “Fox and Friends Weekend,” immediately corrected the record and told Chasten to “stand down.”
She explained the entire series was privately funded by a nonprofit called The Great American Road Trip Inc., that the Duffys did not receive a penny for participating, and that filming took place over short one and two day stretches since her husband has a real job running the Department of Transportation.
Pete Buttigieg himself chimed in with the usual talking points, claiming that the series was “out of touch” because so many families “cannot afford road trips” under what he falsely called “Trump’s gas prices.”
It was an ironic statement coming from the man who once lectured Americans struggling with inflation about buying expensive electric vehicles as a solution.
Rachel did not hold back, firing back with a sharp jab at Pete’s weak tenure in office.
“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 four years on the job,” she said in a scorching reply that sent the left into another round of social media hysterics.
Stand down, Chas.
All production costs were paid for by the non-profit, The Great American Road Trip, Inc. No one in my family – including my husband – were paid to do this. We did it for FREE to celebrate America 250 & encourage other Americans to get off couches & screens and… https://t.co/s7ddr7iu6R [2]— Rachel Campos-Duffy (@RCamposDuffy) May 8, 2026 [3]
Sean Duffy took a more measured but equally devastating approach the next day, calling out the hate as proof that the left cannot stand anything positive or patriotic.
“The radical, miserable left hates this series because it is too wholesome, too patriotic, and too joyful,” Duffy declared, emphasizing that all ethics approvals were cleared in advance and that no taxpayer money was used.
He pointed out that filming only took place during breaks, weekends, and family downtime.
Duffy also highlighted his own record running the Transportation Department, noting major achievements modernizing air traffic control systems, increasing controller hiring by 20 percent, and removing illegal truck drivers that the previous administration ignored.
The radical, miserable left has noticed our awesome Great American Road Trip trailer…
and they hate it.
It’s too wholesome.
It’s too patriotic.
It’s too joyful.They’re upset because they don’t want you to celebrate America! And they definitely don’t want you to teach your…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 9, 2026 [4]
But true to leftist form, when their taxpayer funded smear failed, the Buttigiegs shifted the goalposts.
Chasten reposted a handful of activist accounts attacking the show’s sponsors, which include companies regulated by the DOT such as Boeing, United Airlines, and Toyota.
The left claimed these sponsors created a conflict of interest, accusing Duffy of being on a “corporate vacation” even though the project’s finances were already independently reviewed.
Of course, these critics ignored the simple truth.
The Duffys joined the series for free to inspire families to rediscover the country they love.
It is a concept completely foreign to progressives who believe patriotism should be replaced by critical theory slogans and climate guilt trips.
The Duffys kept their response simple and upbeat.
The goal, they said, was not to make headlines but to remind America what unites her people.
They encouraged families to go outside, explore the national parks, visit monuments, and see why America is worth celebrating as the nation nears its 250th birthday.
“Our message is really simple,” Secretary Duffy said.
“To love America is to see America. So put the phone down, hit the open road, and rediscover what makes America great.”
WATCH:
It is a clear and powerful sentiment that lands about as well with the professional outrage crowd as a bald eagle wearing a MAGA hat.
The feud is a perfect snapshot of today’s culture war.
Conservatives produce something positive and inspiring, and the left cannot help but attack it because it reminds people that not everything has to be miserable, divisive, or drenched in grievance politics. The Duffys are celebrating the land of opportunity, and that alone is enough to send liberal elites into a frenzy.
For now, the Duffys are focused on continuing their mission to remind Americans of who we are, not what the radical media says we should be ashamed of.
Their road trip is more than a reality show; it is a family adventure that proudly defies the cynicism of progressive America.
Every patriotic stop on the journey, from small town diners to Monument Valley, carries the same purpose, to bring Americans back to a shared sense of pride and gratitude.
The more the left attacks, the more people will tune in, if only to witness the flags, faith, and families that still define the heart of this nation.