U.S.President-elect Donald Trump has picked North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum for the post of Interior Secretary.
“He’s going to head the Department of Interior, and he’s going to be fantastic,” Trump said at a gala at his Mar-a-Lago Florida retreat.
The President-elect said that he would make a formal announcement on Friday.
Burgum Is Among The Wealthiest Politicians In U.S.
A wealthy former software company executive, Doug Burgum, 68, was quite visible on Trump’s campaign trail.
In fact, Burgum is among the wealthiest politicians in the United States and has an estimated net worth of at least $1.1 billion.
He ran against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination before quitting.
A Trump Loyalist
He then became a loyal Trump supporter, appearing at fundraisers and advocating for Trump on television.
Trump had even considered selecting him as his running mate before he decided on JD Vance
Burgum has portrayed himself as a traditional, business-minded conservative.
Trump Praised His Latest Cabinet Picks
At the gala, which featured tech billionaire Elon Musk, actor Sylvester Stallone and members of his incoming administration, Trump praised his latest cabinet picks.
He made some of his longest remarks since his presidential election victory speech.
Unexpected Victory
“Nobody knew we were going to win it the way we won it,” Trump said.
He teased Musk about his ongoing post-election stay at Mar-a-Lago.
Musk is involved in some of Trump’s meetings at the oceanfront property.
“I can’t get him out of here. He just loves this place. And I like having him here,” said Trump.
At the end of the event, Musk mounted the stage.
A Clear Mandate
“The public has given us a mandate that could not be more clear. The people have spoken, the people want change,” he said.
Since his victory, Trump has chosen several loyalists with little experience for key cabinet positions.
Reshaping America’s Institutions
His decisions have stunned some allies.
By doing so, Trump has indicated that he is serious about reshaping – and in some cases testing – America’s institutions.
More Oil And Gas Production
The Interior Secretary will oversee policies guiding the use of 500 million acres (202.3 million hectares) of federal and tribal land.
Burgum is expected to be tasked with increasing oil, gas and mineral production on federal lands and waters.
That job would likely involve ratcheting up new leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and on federal lands in oil-producing states like Wyoming and New Mexico.
Biden had pledged to stop new federal leasing for oil extraction but was prevented by the courts from doing so.
Drilling Plan
Interior leadership under Trump could scrap Biden’s five-year offshore drilling plan, and step up acreage offered at Congressionally-mandated onshore sales.
Drilling activity on federal lands and waters accounts for about a quarter of U.S. oil production and 12% of gas production.
The number of drilling permits approved on federal lands fell 16% between fiscal 2020, the last year of Trump’s first administration, and fiscal 2023, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Acreage in new onshore leases slid 95%.
