President Trump has just announced that he has chosen North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum for Interior Secretary.
Burgum was another candidate on Trump’s VP shortlist, prior to him selecting JD Vance.
Watch President Trump’s announcement during a Mar-a-Lago speech right here:
BREAKING: President Donald J. Trump announces the nomination of Gov. @DougBurgum as Secretary of the Interior pic.twitter.com/hMEfxyGzVL
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) November 15, 2024
BREAKING: Trump Announces His Next Cabinet Pick
North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will head the Department of the Interior.
This cabinet position is responsible for managing the nation’s public lands, natural resources, and wildlife conservation.
“He's going to head the… pic.twitter.com/kaJlyxI2QU
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) November 15, 2024
NBC News reported:
President-elect Donald Trump announced Thursday that he plans to select North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as his nominee for secretary of the interior.
“We have a big announcement, and I won’t tell you, it’s — I won’t tell you the name of his, the exact name,” Trump teased in his remarks at Mar-a-Lago, his home in Florida, for an America First Policy Institute event. “I think he’s an incredible person, got an unbelievably wonderful wife named Kathryn. So, I won’t tell you — his name might be something like ‘Burgum.’ Burgum.
ADVERTISEMENT“He’s from North Dakota. He’s going to be announced tomorrow for a very big position,” Trump added before he pointed to and waved at Burgum.
Moments later, he announced that Burgum is “going to head the Department of Interior, and he’s going to be fantastic.”
USA Today shared more details about why President Trump selected Burgum for this cabinet position:
President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be his secretary of Interior, he announced Thursday evening at a gala.
Trump teased the pick during a speech at Mar-a-Lago during an America First Policy Institute dinner, where he said he’d be appointing Burgum on Friday to a “very big position.” Moments later, Trump decided to let the news slip early, telling the crowd that he’s picked Burgum to lead the Department of Interior.
Burgum, a 68-year-old wealthy software executive, ran unsuccessfully against Trump for the Republican nomination last year, failing to generate much buzz and dropping out last December before voting got underway.
But he drew immediate interest from Trump, who appreciated Burgum’s focus on fossil fuels and energy issues and his command on television. The Trump campaign increasingly dispatched Burgum to campaign rallies as a go-to speaker to tout a second Trump presidency and attack outgoing President Joe Biden. Burgum had been speculated as a possible contender for secretary of the Energy Department, which remains unfilled.
The Interior Department oversees federal land including national parks and monuments, and administers programs and federal commitments involving native tribes. North Dakota is home to five federally recognized native tribes.
As governor, Burgum took steps to improve relations with the state’s native tribes. That includes signing legislation codifying the federal Indian Child Welfare Act to give preference to Native American families in the adoption of native children.
On the campaign trail, Trump has talked about unleashing unappropriated lands for fossil fuel development.
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Another great pick!
The Trump administration is going to do great things these next four years!
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