Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told his 18‑year‑old daughter Paloma he could block her Harvard enrollment, sparking a firestorm on social media.
Family Concerns Over Campus Values
In a clip from his YouTube series “The Great American Road Trip,” Duffy and his wife, Fox News host Rachel Campos‑Duffy, discussed their Catholic upbringing and the fear that Harvard would undermine the faith‑based values they have nurtured in their children.
“You can’t say no,” Paloma said, prompting Duffy to reply, “Me and Mom can say no,” when she suggested his refusal was impossible.
Campos‑Duffy expressed worry that a prestigious liberal university could erode the moral formation they provided, stating, “It’s the basis of our marriage, it’s the basis of our family… I’m nervous about dropping her off at a place that would undermine that.”
Duffy added that he wanted his children exposed to multiple viewpoints, but feared that elite schools often impose a single ideological perspective, saying, “I don’t want them fed only one viewpoint that’s contrary to the way my kids were raised.”
Critics React
Left‑leaning commentators condemned the remarks as fear‑mongering. Author Don Winslow tweeted, “Insanely stupid. I feel bad for @SecDuffy’s children.”
The Tennessee Holler posted, “Amazing — Trump Transpo secretary Sean Duffy tells his daughter he may refuse to send her to Harvard because it will ‘corrupt her mind’ … while simultaneously saying he wants her to ‘make choices for herself.’ (Translation: he worries she’ll finally realize how full of [crap] he is).”
Few critics noted that, as parents, the Duffys finance Paloma’s education and therefore have a legitimate stake in the decision.
