The former North Dakota governor will play a key role in carrying out President Donald Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel, anti-renewable-energy vision.

The Senate voted Thursday to confirm President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department, former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum.

The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as Secretary of the Interior late Thursday, solidifying President Donald Trump’s push to expand domestic fossil fuel production under his administration. The vote was 79-18, with more than half of Senate Democrats joining all 53 Republicans in supporting Burgum, the Associated Press reported.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum previously told lawmakers that national security and the economy are his top priorities for leading the Interior Department.

Doug Burgum, a billionaire software industry entrepreneur, was confirmed as President Donald Trump’s new interior secretary on Thursday. Burgum abandoned his presidential campaign and quickly endorsed Trump in 2023. Trump has directed Burgum to tap into fossil fuel resources in the US, including from public lands.

President Trump’s nominees for key positions have a history of pushing back against the work of the departments and agencies they’ve been chosen to lead.

President Donald Trump has begun his second administration with a series of controversial moves and decisions.

Emails obtained by the Associated Press reveal Doug Burgum as North Dakota governor aided oil and gas executives and leveraged connections to boost his profile.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Doug Burgum, the former governor of North Dakota, as President Donald Trump's interior secretary. The vote was 79 to 18. Burgum, 68, will lead an agency that guides the use of 500 million acres (202 million hectares) of federal and tribal land,

President Donald Trump continues to advance his agenda with executive actions ahead of a deadline to impose tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico this weekend. Follow for live updates.

The Senate confirmed former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum in a bipartisan fashion to lead President Donald Trump’s Department of Interior Thursday evening. Senators overwhelmingly approved Burgum’s