Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's “quest” to help his 26-year-old son-in-law in his bid for Congress has left one prominent podcaster “utterly disgusted,” Republicans “grumbling” and senior White House officials “irritated,” the Daily Mail reported on Saturday.
Duffy’s son-in-law, Michael Alfonso, is running to represent the very same Wisconsin congressional district Duffy once held from 2011 to 2019, and has boosted Alfonso “in his personal capacity,” a Transportation spokesperson told the Daily Mail. Alfonso has also received an endorsement by President Donald Trump.
“But Republicans aligned with Alfonso's rivals have complained that Duffy helped secure an endorsement from President Donald Trump in January for the 26-year-old, who is married to Duffy's daughter, Evita,” the Daily Mail reported.
Furthermore, senior White House officials were left “irritated,” the Daily Mail reported, by Duffy “not giving them a heads-up before pushing the president to endorse Alfonso.”
And Merg Ellefson, a prominent podcaster and former radio host, didn't mince words when sharing her thoughts on Duffy’s involvement in the race.
“[Duffy] is exploiting his Cabinet position and fame to influence an election and hand one of the nation's highest offices to his unqualified, 26-year-old son-in-law,” Ellefson told Axios, adding that she was left “utterly disgusted by this blatant manipulation of voters.”