President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum as the secretary of the interior.
Burgum, A Republican, was elected as governor of North Dakota in 2016 and has won reelection since. In 2023 he briefly campaigned for the 2024 presidential nomination, but he ended his campaign in December of that year to work with the Trump campaign as an energy policy advisor.
In a statement on his nomination, Trump reiterated points he frequently made on the campaign trail, saying Burgum and the administration would focus on energy extraction.
"America is blessed with vast amounts of “liquid gold” and other valuable minerals and resources, right beneath our feet. We will “drill baby drill,” expand all forms of energy production to grow our economy, and create good-paying jobs," Trump said in the statement.
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Trump says Burgum will also serve as chairman of a newly formed National Energy Council, which will bring together all the government agencies that regulate energy production and distribution.
"This Council will oversee the path to U.S. energy dominance by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation," Trump said.
In his role on the new council, Burgum will also serve on the National Security Council.
Burgum's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
