It’s official; President-elect Donald Trump has formally nominated North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for Secretary of the Interior, given him a seat on the National Security Council and named him chairman of the yet-to-be-established National Energy Council:
I am deeply grateful to the President @RealDonaldTrump for this great opportunity to serve the American people and achieve ENERGY DOMINANCE! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/iR8x54IZpK
— Doug Burgum (@DougBurgum) November 15, 2024
Trump’s statement about his transition team reads in part:
I am pleased to announce that Doug Burgum, the Governor of North Dakota, will be joining my administration as both Secretary of the Interior and as Chairman of the newly formed and very vital National Energy Council, which will consist of all departments and agencies, which deal with the authorization, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation of ALL forms of American energy. This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, increasing private sector investment across all sectors of the economy, and focusing on INNOVATION instead of longstanding but completely unnecessary regulation. With U.S. energy dominance, we will lower inflation, win the AI arms race with China (and others), and expand U.S. diplomatic power to end wars around the world.
President-elect Trump’s statement concludes:
We will also undo the damage Democrats have done to our nation’s electric grid by dramatically increasing baseload capacity. This will reduce the cost of electric bills that continue to skyrocket for citizens and diminutive businesses under Biden-Harris, and ensure that America has the power to meet all of our needs without the devastating consequences of blackouts, blackouts and the battle for AI to GAIN superiority, which is the key to our nation’s national security and prosperity. Doug Burgum will protect our nation’s natural resources, restore our fabulous oil and gas advantage, and make America and its energy dominant and great again!
On Thursday, RedState’s Joe Cunningham wrote about Trump pre-empting his team’s announcement on the Interior Department’s position, making the announcement at an evening event; Today is the official announcement from Trump and the transition team.
See related: President-elect Donald Trump is picking his rival to head the Interior Department in 2024
Of Governor Burgum’s background, Cunningham wrote:
Burgum, a former tech entrepreneur turned governor, has demonstrated a unique ability to balance economic growth with environmental concerns – a combination that makes him an captivating choice for the role.
In North Dakota, Burgum led one of the largest energy-producing states in the country but also demonstrated a commitment to spotless energy innovation. He understands firsthand the challenges and opportunities facing states that rely on energy development to drive their economies. His experience managing North Dakota’s oil boom and promoting conservation efforts suggests he will approach federal land and resource management with a pragmatism often missing in Washington.
Interestingly, Doug Burgum was a Republican presidential candidate for President-elect Trump. Now he could take a key position in the second Trump administration.
The choice of Governor Burgum is captivating as his background is primarily in technology; In the past he was the founder and later president of Great Plains Softwarewhich was sold to Microsoft, where Burgum served as manager Microsoft business solutions as well as several other positions in the technology and financial sectors before entering politics. It is vital to note that North Dakota is a major energy producer.
See related: Speculation about Trump’s choice for vice president is increasing; Rubio and Burgum out
Stay tuned – there are sure to be more nomination announcements, and we’ll let you know as soon as they’re announced.
