Sponsors Were Asked To Shell Out $1 Million For Sean Duffy’s Road Trip Reality Show. Corporations Came Speeding In

Corporations were reportedly asked to fork up arsenic overmuch arsenic $1 cardinal to sponsor Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s forthcoming America-themed roadworthy travel reality show, according to leaked documents.

The apical $1 cardinal package includes being featured connected a extremity of Duffy’s Great American Road Trip, positive “branded activations and merchandise showcases astatine aggregate destinations,” according to slides obtained by Politico.

The steep value tag doesn’t look to person stopped sponsors from hitching their wagons to nan show, which is group to beryllium released this summertime arsenic portion of nan American 250th day celebrations.

Top-tier corporations, including Toyota and Boeing, are listed arsenic sponsors of The Great American Road Trip, Inc.m nan non-profit of nan aforesaid sanction producing nan show.

“The Great American Road Trip Inc. is an independent non-profit pinch 3 cardinal pillars: 1. To observe America’s 250th birthday; 2. To beforehand recreation and tourism and; 3. To bring a attraction nan transportation, infrastructure and ingenuity that built America complete nan past 250 years and will build America complete nan adjacent 250 years,” Tori Barnes, executive head of nan group, told The Independent via email erstwhile asked astir nan reported sponsorship packages. “We are supported by partners who stock these goals and judge successful encouraging Americans to rediscover nan people, places, and experiences that specify our country.”

The Independent has contacted nan Transportation Department, Toyota, and Boeing for comment.

Critics alleged that awesome corporations pinch imaginable business earlier transit regulators shouldn’t beryllium sponsoring a media task involving nan nation’s apical transit official.

“One has to wonderment whether nan determination to prominently characteristic Toyota successful this task is because Toyota paid for a sponsorship aliases because nan caput really thinks that promoting Toyota is successful nan champion liking of nan American public, American automakers and nan group that activity for that industry," Donald Sherman, president of nan watchdog group Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility, told NPR.

The group has filed a complaint pinch nan DOT’s inspector general, asking for an investigation into whether Duffy violated national gift and recreation rules.

“Production costs were paid for by nan Great American Road Trip Inc., not taxpayers,” Duffy wrote past week connected X. “Zero payer dollars were spent connected my family...Neither myself nor my family received a net aliases accumulation royalties. The 5 portion bid will beryllium freely accessible by nan nationalist connected YouTube.”

Outside of morals concerns, critics person alleged nan show of Duffy taking a made-for-TV roadworthy travel is insensitive, fixed nan ongoing spike successful lipid prices because of nan Trump administration's determination to costs warfare connected Iran.

“The conflict of liking present is glaring,” The View panelist Ana Navarro said recently. “I don’t cognize really galore Americans, really galore mean Americans, will beryllium capable to spell connected a roadworthy travel erstwhile I’m paying $5.99 for a gallon of gas. It conscionable seems that nan reside deafness has nary limits.”

Trump himself brushed disconnected specified Iran-related affordability concerns connected Tuesday.

"I don't deliberation astir American financial business — I don't deliberation astir anybody,” he told reporters. “I deliberation astir 1 thing: We cannot fto Iran person a atomic weapon."

High-priced firm donations person flowed to different Trump-related intermezo projects, including nan White House ballroom and nan upcoming UFC conflict astatine nan White House.