In Billings, Montana, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management has withdrawn her nomination after it was revealed that she criticized the president in 2021 for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Kathleen Sgamma’s withdrawal was announced at the beginning of her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt described Sgamma’s withdrawal as “self-inflicted” and cited her past comments criticizing Trump. Sgamma, a longtime representative of the oil and gas industry, had been expected to support Trump’s plans to ease restrictions on energy development, particularly in Western states where the bureau oversees vast land holdings. The withdrawal highlighted the Trump administration’s requirement of loyalty and alignment with the president’s views. The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees various activities such as mining and recreation, had been without a confirmed director for four years during Trump’s first term. The agency’s headquarters was moved to Colorado by Trump but was later relocated to Washington, D.C., under President Joe Biden.
