Trump names new head of NASA as MTV reality star who did striptease in hotel room
Donald Trump has revealed the new head of NASA as a former MTV reality star who once did a striptease in a hotel room.
Before tiptoeing into politics, Sean Duffy gained notoriety as a cast member on MTV's
The reality TV show focused on the lives of seven strangers who were tasked with living under the same roof for several months.
Famously, the then 20-something was filmed performing a raunchy dance with all but a towel to cover his manhood.
Now, President Trump has picked the 53-year-old to serve as the interim head of NASA.
Announcing the appointment, the POTUS wrote on Truth Social: "Sean is doing a TREMENDOUS job in handling our Country's Transportation Affairs, including creating a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control systems, while at the same time rebuilding our roads and bridges, making them efficient, and beautiful, again."
Trump added: "He will be a fantastic leader of the ever more important Space Agency, even if only for a short period of time. Congratulations, and thank you, Sean."
Celebrating his move into one of the highest-profile science roles in the government, the father-of-nine wrote on Twitter: "Honored to accept this mission. Time to take over space. Let’s launch.”
Clearly his risque antics on the show have made little impact on his political career as just years after his TV debut he became district attorney in Ashland County, Wisconsin, in 2002 and then as a member of Congress from 2010 to 2019.
Trump also bumped the lawyer to the role of Transport Secretary in his government in January this year.
Duffy will now continue his work in the department and replace Janet Petro, who has been serving as NASA administrator since the start of the year.
In February, the video of Duffy's semi-naked hotel room dance resurfaced which cuts to his fellow cast member Montana McGlynn lying on the bed and appearing to sensually mess with her top.
The footage then shows Duffy dance over to her where she appeared to lick his nipple.
Recently defending Duffy in the clip, McGlynn told The Daily Mail: "We were in our early 20s and going through a unique and exciting experience, so I think we were all just looking to have fun and explore what it meant to be young."
"He always said he'd hold public office," she continued. "His brother was the mayor of his small town so we all thought his political aspirations could be a reality."
Duffy then went on to marry Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, whom he met while filming a spin-off, Road Rules: All Stars in 1998, and share nine children together.
His NASA appointment also comes as billionaire entrepreneur and initial nominee for the post, Jared Isaacman, was snubbed by the POTUS following an alleged 'review' into his 'prior associations.'
In a rant that started about Elon Musk, an alleged friend of Isaacman, Trump claimed the astronaut was a 'blue-blooded Democrat' who had 'never contributed to a Republican before.'
The president determined it would be 'inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life.'
Dad with deadly brain cancer that kills in a year is cancer free after taking new drug
A breakthrough drug is fighting brain cancer head-on.
Glioblastoma is widely considered the deadliest form of brain cancer, killing over 10,000 Americans each year. There is no cure for the highly aggressive disease — many patients survive just nine months after diagnosis.
Ben Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022 at 40.
Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and extending life via surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible and radiation therapy and chemotherapy to destroy cancer cells.
Now, researchers from University College London Hospitals are recruiting glioblastoma patients for a trial of the immunotherapy drug ipilimumab. Sold under the brand name Yervoy, the monoclonal antibody stimulates the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Oncologists are optimistic since a UK father shows no signs of having a tumor after he took ipilimumab before his glioblastoma treatment.
Ben Trotman was diagnosed with glioblastoma in October 2022 at 40.
“The crucial element of this trial is that patients will have their immune system boosted by the drug before they have any other treatment, when they are fit and well enough to tolerate the immunotherapy,” said Dr. Paul Mulholland, the consultant medical oncologist leading the trial.
“We saw with Ben, the one patient recruited to the immunotherapy study, NeAT-GLIO, that he has had clear scans since having the treatment and the tumor hasn’t returned more than two and a half years later.”
Glioblastoma is widely considered the deadliest form of brain cancer, killing over 10,000 Americans each year.
Trotman met with Mulholland, who enrolled him in a clinical trial for ipilimumab. He was the first patient in the world — and the only person in the trial — to take the drug before glioblastoma treatment.
“Getting this diagnosis was the most traumatic experience,” said Trotman’s wife, Emily.
“We were grappling with the fact that Ben had gone from being apparently perfectly healthy to having months to live.”
After taking the drug, Ben underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Two years and eight months later, his scans are clear.
“It is very unusual to have a clear scan with glioblastoma, especially when he didn’t have the follow-up surgery that had been planned to remove all of the tumor that was initially visible on scans,” Mulholland said.
Ben and Emily Trotman wed in 2023, after he began his immunotherapy treatment.
“We hope that the immunotherapy and follow-up treatment Ben has had will hold his tumor at bay,” he added, “and it has so far, which we are delighted to see.”
In January 2023, months after his diagnosis, Ben married Emily. The couple welcomed a daughter, Mabel, earlier this year.
They enjoy taking her for walks along with their rescue dog, Jerry.
“We are trying to live as normal a life as possible,” Emily said.
“We are in a unique position of which there is no precedent and which comes with a great deal of uncertainty,” she continued. “We want to live each day as if it were our last, but we also want to plan for the future, which we hope to have.”
Researchers plan to recruit 16 glioblastoma patients like Ben over 18 months.
After taking ipilimumab, the trial participants will undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy and perhaps surgery depending on the extent of their disease.
Dr. Paul Mulholland and Dame Siobhain McDonagh, who raised funds for the new clinical trial of ipilimumab.
The trial is being funded by Dame Siobhain McDonagh, a member of the British Parliament, whose sister died of glioblastoma in 2023.
“My beloved sister Margaret was appalled to discover that there had been no advances in brain cancer treatment for decades when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma,” McDonagh said. “Changing this was Margaret’s final campaign and one that I have continued in her memory.”
Treatment will take place at the NIHR UCLH’s Clinical Research Facility at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
“I am delighted that this new trial, with the same immunotherapy drug I received, is going ahead and others will have the opportunity to take part,” Ben said. “It will give people newly diagnosed with glioblastoma some hope.”
