President-elect Donald Trump has announced that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum will be nominated to serve as Secretary of the Department of the Interior. Trump made the announcement at the America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, praising Burgum as a great fit for the position, which will involve overseeing around 640 million acres of federal land and managing energy production on public lands. A formal announcement will be made on Friday.
Burgum, 68, has been governor of North Dakota since 2016 and was re-elected in 2020, though he decided not to seek a third term. Prior to his political career, he was the CEO of Great Plains Software, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2001. Burgum later served as a senior vice president at Microsoft until 2007. As governor, he was known for his business-oriented and data-driven approach to governance, with a strong focus on domestic energy production.
During his brief bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Burgum emphasized the importance of ramping up domestic energy production and addressing threats from China. He later dropped out and endorsed Trump. Burgum also played a role in Trump’s rallies and was once considered for the vice-presidential position before JD Vance was chosen.
In his new role, Burgum will be responsible for the management of public lands and the development of both conventional and renewable energy supplies. Trump has indicated that Burgum will be key in fulfilling his administration’s goals of cutting energy costs by 50% within the first year. Trump plans to boost energy production, ease regulations, and open up lands for drilling and mining, with plans for executive orders on his first day in office. The incoming administration will also appoint an “energy czar” to oversee these efforts.