The Unusual Way Trump Staffer Sean Duffy Met His Wife

If you're not having much luck in the romance department with modern-day methods like dating apps and sliding into DMs, then perhaps this technique could work instead. Rachel Campos-Duffy, a conservative TV personality who married U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, a former Fox News staffer who joined the Trump administration, wrote a piece for Fox News back in 2023 about their love story.

Instead of meeting on Tinder, they met on the set of MTV reality show "The Real World" in the late '90s. As Campos-Duffy explained, they technically weren't on the same season initially — she was on Season 3, Duffy on Season 6, his racy TV past eventually coming to haunt him — but they were later cast on a spin-off series called "Road Rules All-Stars." They flirted on the show, but didn't go out on a date until months later, laughing and chatting all throughout breakfast. Campos-Duffy realized Duffy was her forever person and they have built a wonderful life together. They have a whopping nine children, making them a proud family of 11.

"Had Sean and I met in 2023, I'm convinced we'd never be married," Campos-Duffy wrote. "The disconnected and superficial nature of modern dating culture is killing romance and marriage."

Later in the Fox News article, Rachel Campos-Duffy shared several tips for successful dating in the modern world. These included: avoiding making rash judgements before actually meeting someone, quitting communication through text only, and going into the office for your job. She also encouraged single people who don't want to be single anymore to prioritize their love life over their career goals and dreams. "My advice to this generation of singles is to take a page from the '80s and '90s and start living authentically instead of virtually."

The Fox News host noted that a person's loved ones will be there for them in sickness and in health, not their jobs. This point was proven after both Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy experienced issues. Since taking over the role of U.S. Secretary of Transportation, people became concerned about Duffy's health. He appeared on an episode of "The Charlie Kirk Show" in August 2025 looking gaunt. One person on X, formerly known as Twitter, tweeted, "He is wasting away before our eyes."

Moreover, Campos-Duffy is one of many Fox News anchors who've dealt with tragic health issues. Before meeting Duffy, she was involved in a horrifying car crash, and talked about it on "The Will Cain Podcast" in 2022. "It was an older guy, he fell asleep and he crossed the lane and all of a sudden hit us head on," she shared, "so, everybody died, except for me." (Campos-Duffy explained she was with her then-fiancé.) She had to be hospitalized and undergo surgery after the crash, with over a year of recovery time. (via Facebook).