President-elect Donald Trump announced that Doug Burgum, Governor of North Dakota and a former software executive, will be his pick for Interior Secretary.
“He’s going to head the Department of Interior, and it’s going to be fantastic,” said Trump at a Mar-a-Lago gala, promising an official announcement the next day.
Burgum, 68, a conservative businessman, previously ran against Trump but later became a key supporter, attending fundraisers and backing Trump on TV. At the gala, Trump praised his cabinet picks in front of guests like Elon Musk and Sylvester Stallone, making some of his longest public remarks since winning the election.
Trump joked about Musk’s stay at Mar-a-Lago, saying, “I can’t get him out of here. He loves this place.” Musk, taking the stage later, added, “The people have spoken. They want change.”
Trump’s choice of Burgum signals a likely focus on increasing oil, gas, and mineral production on federal lands. The Interior Department oversees 500 million acres of federal and tribal land, about one-fifth of the U.S. surface area. Burgum’s role may include boosting drilling leases in the Gulf of Mexico and states like Wyoming and New Mexico.
Drilling on federal lands contributes roughly a quarter of U.S. oil and 12% of gas production. Under Trump, these efforts could include overturning previous restrictions and increasing new land leases.
