Investment manager Ross Gerber criticized Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy after the Trump Cabinet member promoted a family road-trip reality show filmed over parts of seven months, arguing the rollout clashed with the ongoing strain across the U.S. travel system.
Gerber Says Travel System Looks Strained
“Meanwhile airports are a mess and plane accidents are happening at a record rate…” Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, wrote Sunday on X. He was responding to a Fox News clip from “Fox & Friends” on Friday where Duffy described taking his family in a van across the country for “The Great American Road Trip,” a series tied to America’s 250th anniversary.
Gerber’s post echoed broader criticism that Duffy was promoting a feel-good travel show while airports faced disruptions tied to TSA staffing shortages, funding fights, weather and hub congestion. But his claim that plane accidents are happening at a record rate is not supported by recent general aviation safety data. The General Aviation Joint Safety Committee reported that the estimated fatal accident rate for fiscal 2026 stood at 0.44 per 100,000 flight hours as of May 5, well below its yearly target.
Gas Prices Make Show Easy Target
The show has still drawn accusations of being tone-deaf as families face high travel costs as gasoline prices have topped $4.50 a gallon nationally.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also criticized the project. “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 Says Nonprofit Covered Costs
Duffy defended the show in a lengthy social media post, saying all production costs were covered by the nonprofit Great American Road Trip Inc., not taxpayers, and that neither he nor his family received a salary or royalties. Transportation Department spokesperson Nathaniel Sizemore separately told NBC News that covered costs included gas, car rentals, lodging and activities, while taxpayer funds were used only for official government travel.
Duffy also wrote that the “radical, miserable left” was angry because the show was “too wholesome,” “too patriotic” and “too joyful,” adding that career ethics and budget officials reviewed and approved his participation under federal rules.
Photo courtesy: Joshua Sukoff / Shutterstock.com
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