Sean Duffy, the 20th U.S. Secretary of Transportation, shared his concerns about his daughter potentially attending Harvard University in his new reality series. The 54-year-old said he worries that the institution could negatively influence her Catholic values.
Sean Duffy says he does not want his daughter to attend Harvard because of its influence on her values
During the episode Boston: College Dreams and a Homecoming of The Great American Road Trip, Duffy is seen having a conversation with his daughter, Paloma. He tells her, “My problem is we have thought about how we raised you and how hard we’ve worked to, I think, raise what is a remarkable young girl. If I send you there, I think what happens is they have professionalized figuring out how they can take good young girls like you and, I think, corrupt their minds.”
Duffy, a former MTV reality show contestant, then emphasized that Paloma does not have to share his political views and believes she should be exposed to different perspectives. At the same time, he questioned whether schools like Harvard could provide her with a “well-rounded picture.”
Paloma countered, saying, “But I went to an extremely conservative school in high school, and I’m part of an extremely conservative family. And if I go to a liberal setting, that’s a way more rounded education.” He replied, “You’ll see young people go to a conservative school with a conservative family, and they get perverted and contorted.”
His wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, also said on the show, “Catholicism to us is everything. It’s the basis of our marriage. It’s the basis of our family. So I’m nervous about the idea of Paloma going to Harvard.”
The interaction quickly drew attention on social media. Comments were turned off on the episode. Several users pushed back against Duffy’s concerns about Harvard. They pointed out that prominent Catholic figures have studied at the university and continued to practice and value their faith.
DNC Delegate Christopher Hale reacted on X, writing, “Secretary Duffy says that his Catholic values forbade him from allowing his daughter to attend Harvard. Catholic graduates of Harvard include: John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Ross Douthat.” While a user commented, “What’s ‘perverted and contorted’ is denying your child the chance to attend Harvard if she’s able to get in.”
The Great American Road Trip follows Duffy and his wife as they travel across the country with their nine children. The series was released on August 19 after being delayed for several months. It was originally slated to premiere in June.
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