Trump-appointed interim NASA chief Sean Duffy once performed striptease in hotel room: Video
The move came after Trump abruptly withdrew billionaire Jared Isaacman's nomination in May, calling his Democratic ties 'inappropriate' given Elon Musk's SpaceX contracts with NASA.
Duffy, a former Wisconsin congressman and star of MTV's The Real World: Boston (1997), will lead NASA while keeping his transportation post amid 24% budget cuts threatening scientific missions.
A resurfaced MTV clip shows Duffy in his 20s performing a raunchy striptease in a towel, dancing over a castmate, along with obscene activities. The footage, filmed for a 1998 Real World spin-off, went viral in February 2025.
Duffy's former co-star Montana McGlynn defended it: 'We were in our early 20s... looking to have fun'. Social media reactions to this issue were scathing.
Critics questioned Duffy's judgment as he prepares to oversee NASA's $18.8 billion budget.
Meanwhile, NASA faces a talent crisis as over 2,100 senior employees, including Mars and asteroid scientists, exit amid Trump's downsizing push. The cuts align with Duffy's focus at Transportation: rolling back 'woke DEI policies' and environmental rules. Former NASA science chiefs warn that the staff exodus and budget slashes threaten planetary defense projects like OSIRIS-APEX, which studies Earth-threatening asteroids.
Duffy, a father of nine with no space background, now leads an agency where 85% of departing staff handle 'mission-critical' work. Isaacman, Musk's original pick, endorsed Duffy, but skeptics ask: Can a reality TV star navigate a space emergency?
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