President-elect Trump nominates Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.

Burgum, a Republican, was elected governor of North Dakota in 2016 and has since been re-elected. In 2023, he briefly campaigned for the 2024 presidential nomination, but ended his campaign in December of that year to work with the Trump campaign as an energy policy adviser.

In a statement about his nomination, Trump reiterated points he often 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 under our feet. We will “drill baby drills,” expanding all forms of energy production to grow our economy and create good-paying jobs. Trump said in the statement.

Trump says Burgum will also serve as chairman of a newly formed National Energy Council, which will bring together all government agencies that regulate energy production and distribution.

“This Council will oversee the path to American energy dominance by cutting red tape, increasing private sector investment in all sectors of the economy, and focusing on INNOVATION rather than long-standing but total unnecessary regulations,” Trump said.

In his role in the new council, Burgum will also sit on the National Security Council.

Burgum’s appointment must still be confirmed by the Senate.

This is a developing story and will be updated.