Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was blasted for his speech at the kick-off event for America 250 celebrations on Wednesday, where critics pointed out that he unwittingly insulted his own children.
Duffy began his remarks at the Great American State Fair, with his family standing beside him on stage, by bashing the artists who withdrew last month over concerns that the Trump event was too political.
The father of nine, married to Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, used the word “lib****”, a play on a derogatory term for people with a developmental disability, to open his speech.
“I think we have to give a big round of applause for our military band and singers…way better than those lib****s that canceled on us,” Duffy said.
The comment prompted dozens of angry responses on social media, with many pointing out that one of Duffy’s children, Valentina, has Down syndrome.
open image in gallery“Disgusting that this man with a special needs child would use such a slur. That’s no Christian,” one person posted in response to the clip on X.
“How can you, as the parent of a child with Down syndrome, stand up on a stage and use an altered version of a slur that harms people like your daughter?” another said.
“You’d think Sean and @RCamposDuffy wouldn’t mock special needs people when their daughter has Downs Syndrome!” someone else posted.
“Explain that one to your special needs kid, Sean,” another wrote. “Garbage father figure.”
Others said the comment was “a disgrace” and “truly disgusting.”
The Independent has contacted Duffy’s office for comment.
open image in galleryIn the speech, Duffy, a reality TV star before he entered politics, said that young people should “get married and have lots of kids.” He added that young people “have been lied to” about how to lead a fulfilling life.
“They have been told that they would be fulfilled with hookup culture or some get-rich-quick scheme,” he said. “Or they could find fame on social media and that would fulfill them.”
“But I’ll tell you, they found that that’s a false promise,” Duffy continued. “That’s a lie, and they’ve sought truth. And in seeking truth, they have gone to church.”
The Daily Beast highlighted that Duffy’s eldest child, 26-year-old Evita Campos-Duffy, frequently posts about her life to her “hundreds of thousands of online followers.”
Campos-Duffy, who is a new mom, hit back in a social media post and said she does not find fulfillment from social media, but through her Catholic faith.
“For the record, I don’t find fulfillment from posting on X,” she said. “My dad said to find fulfillment through faith and family — and I have. I’m a practicing Catholic, married to a wonderful husband, and just had a beautiful baby.”