President Trump has been left with finding someone else to run the Bureau of Land Management after his pick, Kathleen Sgamma withdrew her name last week, apparently over her previous criticism of the President during the Jan. 6 attack on the capitol.
The announcement came during what was supposed to be a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee confirmation hearing. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah chairman, said he had received notification of Sgamma’s withdrawal from the White House. He did not explain why she chose to no longer be the nominee.
Sgamma previously was leader of the Western Energy Alliance, an oil and gas industry trade group. The Associated Press reported it’s believed she stepped aside because of 2021 criticism of President Trump over the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The AP cited a report by watchdog journalism project Documented that quoted Sgamma at the time as stating, “I am disgusted by the violence witnessed yesterday and President Trump’s role in spreading misinformation that incited it.”
The wire service quoted former Trump interior secretary David Bernhardt on X as calling the withdrawal “self inflicted” by Sgamma. He also suggested that people whose views don’t align with President Trump should not seek political appointments in his administration.
Still, Sgamma indicated in a statement she will support the President and “fight for his agenda to Unleash American Energy in the private sector.”
