President Donald Trump named Katharine MacGregor as his deputy secretary of the Interior Department.
MacGregor served I that role in the Department of Interior during the first Trump Administration and is known for her effectiveness in pro-energy and pro-hunting policies on public lands.
Joe Balash, a well-known Alaskan who was Interior assistant secretary of lands and minerals (BLM) in the first Trump Administration, gave his unvarnished opinion on MacGregor, when called by a reporter from POLITICO.
“I don’t want to be too flippant about it, but they’re not f—ing around,” said Balash, who served with MacGregor in the department during Trump’s term. “Kate’s been there. She knows how it works. She’s there to make things happen. … This is no time for on-the-job training.”
MacGregor assumed office in February 2020, succeeding David Bernhardt, who was being promoted to secretary of the Interior. Bernhardt is now on Trump’s transition team for the Interior Department. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is the Trump nominee for secretary.
MacGregor knows how the department works. She staffed the United States House Committee on Natural Resources from 2011 to 2017, where she earned high praise from Rep. Don Young and the Congressional Western Caucus.
She served in several positions at the Department of Interior after Trump took office in 2017, including Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Lands and Minerals Management.
MacGregor worked on issues such as improving responsible domestic energy and mineral development, combating missing and murdered American Indians and Alaskan Natives, and enhancing rural broadband, all issues important to Alaskans.
Burgum as secretary of Interior will have someone backing him up who has deep experience in Washington and who has the bonafides to advance the Trump America First priorities.
This is what winning looks like. Polar opposite of the Deb Haaland crowd that took glee in saying, “no” to everything Alaska needed.