Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal Doug Burgum as North Dakota governor catered to the whims of oil and gas executives while leveraging those connections to expand his political profile

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was confirmed by the Senate Thursday to lead President Trump’s Department of the Interior. Burgum, 68, received bipartisan support from senators, who voted 78-18 to approve his Cabinet nomination.

Immediately after Doug Burgum's bipartisan confirmation for Interior Secretary, North Dakota's political leaders praised the vote, calling him the "right leader at the right time."

The Senate confirmed Doug Burgum as interior secretary late Thursday after President Donald Trump tapped the North Dakota billionaire to spearhead the Republican administration's ambitions to boost fossil fuel production.

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to become Interior Secretary in the second Trump Administration. The Republican was confirmed by a vote of 79-18. Burgum served as governor of North Dakota from 2016 to 2024.

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.

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