Douglas James Burgum (/bɜːrɡəm/ BURR-ghəm; born August 1, 1956) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the 55th United States secretary of the interior since February 1, 2025, under President Donald Trump.

On November 14, 2024, President-elect Trump announced his intention to nominate Burgum as the United States Secretary of the Interior and named him chair of the National Energy Council.

[9] He said he built the company in Fargo because North Dakota State University was there; NDSU acted as a feeder school to supply engineering students to GPS.

[16] After the sale, Burgum was named Senior Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions Group,[17][18] the unit created from GPS.

[30] It acquired and renovated many Fargo properties, including the former St. Mark's Lutheran Church and the former Woodrow Wilson alternative high school.

Burgum faced Democrat Marvin Nelson and Libertarian Marty Riske in the November general election and won with over 75% of the vote.

[41] The 2021 announcement of the goal sparked $25 billion in private sector investment, according to remarks he made at the annual meeting of the North Dakota petroleum council.

[52] In January 2023, Burgum and other North Dakota officials threatened to sue Minnesota over a law that would require the state's electricity to come from sources that do not emit carbon dioxide.

[56] In October 2023, Burgum condemned Hamas's attack on Israel and noted that 84 North Dakotans who were on a church tour were stranded in Bethlehem as the fighting began.

[68] He was endorsed by North Dakota's entire Congressional delegation, U.S. senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and U.S. representative Kelly Armstrong.

[80] On December 4, Burgum announced that he was suspending his campaign, citing frustration with the RNC's high threshold of donations and polling to qualify for debates.

[89] Trump ally and U.S. senator Kevin Cramer said Burgum would be a clear front-runner for a cabinet position, most likely Secretary of Energy.

[106][107][108][109] Burgum's selection was highly praised by numerous Republican senators, including John Barrasso, Dan Sullivan, and Tim Sheehy.

[112] It received backlash from environmental groups over Burgum's ties to and plans for the fossil fuel industry, such as his support for the pro-coal Lignite Energy Council.

[114][115] Democratic member of the committee Martin Heinrich protested the date, as chairman Mike Lee released the hearing notice before Burgum had completed multiple forms.

[119] During Burgum's hearing he stated that he viewed America's public lands and waters as part of the country's financial "balance sheet," and advocated for extracting potentially trillions of dollars worth of oil, gas and minerals via mining and drilling.

He also argued that curbs on energy production posed a national security threat as it means the United States has to import fuel from other countries, such as Russia and Iran.

[125] To this end Burgum signed a suite of orders to speed project development and permitting and to eliminate regulations from the Inflation Reduction Act.

[128] Burgum has made critical comments about Joe Biden and his performance as President of the United States on Facebook and in public messages.

He promised to make North Dakota carbon neutral by 2030; he said he would loosen regulations for the gas industry, but also said he is committed to clean energy projects.

[135] These pipelines would transport excess carbon dioxide captured from ethanol production plants in Iowa to facilities in North Dakota to store them deep underground.

[136] When confronted about the issue at an Iowa rally, Burgum changed his position, saying he fervently opposed eminent domain, but insisted that carbon capture was good for the economy and the environment and that it would allow the use of traditional internal combustion automobiles indefinitely.

[140][141] Burgum received an A grade on gun issues from the NRA Political Victory Fund and signed numerous laws that ease access to firearms.

[145] Shortly afterward, at an event in New Hampshire, Burgum said he believed addiction was the root of most of America's problems, including crime, homelessness, and mental health.

He said that if elected president he would overhaul the reimbursement systems for mental health care and would find a place for the private sector to get involved in funding solutions for substance use disorders.

As governor, Burgum shifted some of North Dakota's prisons to look more like mental health institutions, a policy he said he would attempt to emulate at the federal level.

[149] During the 2024 Republican debate in Milwaukee, Burgum expressed concern about China, claiming it is America's "number one threat" and that the U.S. should put "anti-warship missiles in Taiwan".

[150] During campaign stops, Burgum expressed disdain for President Biden's handling of foreign aid to Ukraine and his hostage deals with Iran.

[157] He signed numerous veto-proof bills sent by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly during its 2023 session that some have called "anti-trans", including a near-total ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

[166] While campaigning for president in 2024, Burgum said in an interview that he likes the music of Keith Urban and enjoys watching the television shows Yellowstone and Ted Lasso.