What to know about Doug Burgum, Trump's Interior secretary pick
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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum speaks during a Trump campaign rally on Oct. 25. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) was chosen to lead the Department of the Interior during President-elect Trump's administration.
Why it matters: Burgum, who has connections to the oil and gas industry, is expected to lead the push to open more public lands to fossil fuel leasing and roll back environmental protections.
- "Burgum's small-town upbringing and agricultural roots laid the foundation for his shared values of respect for the past, gratitude for the present and inspiration for the future," his website said.
State of play: Burgum, 68, would have an early mandate to boost oil and gas leasing and scale back Biden administration rules on conservation and endangered species, Axios Pro's Daniel Moore and Nick Sobczyk reported.
- He will also face pressure to end offshore wind energy leases.
Zoom in: Burgum is in his second term as governor in a state where 67.5% of voters cast their ballots for Trump.
- He was elected to office after a career as a software executive, having worked at Microsoft as a senior vice president, founded a real estate development firm and cofounded a venture capital firm that invests in software companies.
- He obtained a bachelor's degree in university studies from North Dakota State University and a master's of business administration from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Between the lines: Burgum is a conventional choice to lead the Interior Department, Axios' Ben Geman reported.
- Burgum in 2021 set a goal for North Dakota to be carbon neutral by 2030 "without a single mandate," via carbon capture.
- His climate views, acknowledging human-caused climate change, don't align "nearly" with Trump's, per the Washington Post. He has also supported some of the clean-energy subsidies that Trump is looking to remove.
Zoom out: Burgum will oversee the department that manages public lands and minerals, national parks, wildlife refugees and upholds federal responsibilities to Indigenous people.
- Burgum, on his website, said he has "greatly improved state-tribal relationships through collaboration and addressing challenges and opportunities with understanding and mutual respect."
- Burgum will also serve as chairman of the new National Energy Council, involving departments and agencies in the energy industry, Trump said. This will include permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation.
- "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...," Trump said in a statement on Friday.
Flashback: Burgum was in consideration to be Trump's vice presidential running mate.
- He was part of the group of Trump loyalists who showed up at the Manhattan courthouse when Trump was on trial.
- Burgum also ran a long-shot presidential campaign focused on business acumen, energy, national security and fiscal responsibilities. He dropped out before the primaries.
Go deeper: Trump picks North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to lead Interior
