From running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination himself, former North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum has proven himself a Trump loyalist who commands the president-elect’s trust.  Announcing Burgum’s appointment at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump said, “He’s going to head the Department of Interior, and he’s going to be fantastic.”

However, given Burgum’s background, affiliations, and views on important issues, is he the right choice for Secretary of the Interior?  Trump has also made him the nation’s energy czar by appointing him chairman of the newly formed National Energy Council.  But is Burgum fit to chair the council and, under that post, take a seat on the National Security Council?  

A close look at Burgum’s origins, career, political and policy plays, and most importantly, his association with people and ideologies in line with leftist-globalists is called for.  The facts will make it evident that it won’t be unreasonable to ask if he will serve the interests of “We, the people” in the new Trump administration.

Burgum, a native North Dakotan, grew up in the small town of Arthur and earned a BA from North Dakota State University and an MBA from Stanford. His family had a thriving agribusiness started by his grandfather. His father's death when he was in high school deeply affected him, and, showing initiative, he started a chimney-sweeping business while still an undergraduate. As an adolescent, he ran his own newspaper. These early efforts impressed his professors at Stanford.

After working as an analyst at McKinsey & Company, he adopted a data-driven approach to business and other decisions, which he still adheres to. In 1983, he invested in Great Plains Software, which he built into a billion-dollar business and sold to Microsoft in 2001. His Stanford classmate and friend Steve Ballmer was CEO of Microsoft. He is also friends with Bill Gates, the Black Rock group, and many deep-pocketed energy industry CEOs.

Today, he’s one of the wealthiest and shrewdest politicians in the U.S.  During his short-lived run for president, he spent more than $2.9 million on ads, more than any other politician or group. To reach the quota of donors who would take him to the debate stage, he offered $20 gift cards to each person who donated $1.  

In 2016, despite being a political newcomer, he ran successfully for governor, skipping the standard process and entering the race without the backing of the state Republican party.  This, and his never having endorsed a Republican candidate at North Dakota Republican conventions, signals an indifference to the party ethos.  As governor, he built his brand and promoted his narrative, pouring money into state media enterprises.

Politicians are often firebrands, so Burgum's behavior is not surprising. However, his views on issues important to conservatives and his many constituents—the COVID plandemic, January 6, China, zero carbon, carbon dioxide capture, and land grabs—make his choice extremely questionable.

The COVID ‘Plandemic’: As governor, Burgum financed and promoted a tracking app as part of a public-private partnership between the North Dakota Department of Health and ProudCrowd.  He imposed strict masking rules, penalizing violators up to $1,000.  Restaurants were limited to 50% of capacity, bars had to close at 10 p.m., and sports and recreation at schools were suspended, though championship contests and performance events were allowed to continue.

January 6: While Republicans questioned the highly suspicious 2020 election outcome, Burgum defended it as “fair and honest.”  When the Capitol protests broke out, he called for an end to “violence.”

Chinese infiltration: Burgum favored having Fufeng, a CCP-linked corn milling company, set up a plant 12 miles from a critical Air Force base in North Dakota until residents fought back.  He echoed President Joe Biden’s sentiment that “China is not our enemy.”  Later, though, on the presidential campaign trail, he said he’d be “tough on China” and that “We’re in a cold war with China.”

Carbon neutrality: Though he is heavily invested in the coal and oil sectors, Burgum has encouraged the state’s renewable energy sector. He declared that North Dakota would be “carbon neutral” by 2030. This is in a state that is third in crude oil reserves and production and seventh in coal.

Carbon capture: Conservatives have vehemently questioned the dubious science behind carbon capture – taking carbon dioxide from emission sources and pumping it into underground reservoirs in the hope that it will reduce global warming.  But Burgum supports the $5.5 billion Midwest CO2 pipeline project that his constituents oppose.  The pipeline, proposed by three companies, will sequester 18 million tons of carbon dioxide annually through a 2,000-mile pipeline with trunk lines four feet in diameter.  The companies stand to gain trillions of dollars and significant benefits from tax credits.

Little is known about the long-term risks of gas leakage, storage, and soil changes. In 2020, one pipeline ruptured in Mississippi, sending 49 people to the hospital. The companies are aggressively pushing for eminent domain rulings to obtain land for laying the pipe, and their surveyors have entered properties without permission. Burgum sees the project as a “geological jackpot.”

One of the companies, Summit Carbon Solutions, has refused to name all its investors.  Nevertheless, a few days ago, the North Dakota Public Service Commission unanimously approved a permit for Summit to operate in the state.

The big land grab: Burgum is close friends with Bill Gates, the largest private owner of farmland in America, who continues to buy up land across the country. As secretary of the interior, Burgum will oversee millions of acres of federal land and determine what activities will be allowed on it.

Overall, is a supporter of Net Zero and carbon dioxide pipelines credible when he claims to want to develop traditional carbon sources?  Does someone who has flip-flopped on the China threat deserve a place on the National Security Council?  Is a friend of Bill Gates, who supports radical climate policies, the transformation of the food supply, and a globalist new world order, the right choice for energy czar?

Trump recently said of the energy council: “This council will oversee the path to U.S. energy dominance by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the economy, and focusing on innovation over longstanding but totally unnecessary regulation.”

The big question is: Can Burgum, with his views and affiliations, be trusted to deliver for Trump’s MAGA agenda and the American people's mandate?

Image: Official portrait, via Wikimedia Commons // public domain