Trump #47’s Department of Interior (DOI), Doug Burgum’s Strange Office Fetish

Apr 8, 2025 11:24 PM EDT, Tue

One White House Cabinet secretary sets high standards (for his cookies)

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is the latest addition to the list of Trump Cabinet secretaries who face embarrassing allegations.

April 8, 2025, 1:23 PM EDT By Steve Benen

Eleven weeks into Donald Trump’s second term, much of the president’s White House Cabinet is off to a rough start. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Pam Bondi and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, among others, quickly became mired in controversies soon after taking office.

But that list is still growing. The Atlantic reported this week:

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum likes chocolate-chip cookies — preferably freshly baked and still warm. This peculiar fact became the talk of the Department of the Interior in recent weeks after his chief of staff, JoDee Hanson, made an unusual request of the political appointees in his office: Learn to regularly bake cookies for Burgum and his guests, using the industrial ovens at the department headquarters.

The Atlantic’s report, which has not been independently verified by MSNBC or NBC News, added that the Cabinet secretary and his team have also “repeatedly made unusual demands,” including instructing political appointees to act as servers for a multi-course meal, dispatching a U.S. Park Police helicopter for his personal transportation and at one point even telling an appointee to remake cookies that failed to meet Burgum’s standards.

As is usually the case, the administration pushed back against the reporting, with an Interior spokesperson describing the claims as “pathetic smears” from “unnamed cowards.” Similarly, a White House spokesperson dismissed concerns and stood behind the secretary.

Time will tell if the allegations amount to anything, though it’s worth pausing to appreciate the familiarity of the circumstances.

In Trump’s first term, much of his Cabinet ran into serious controversies, and in four instances, Cabinet members were even referred to the Justice Department for possible criminal prosecution.

Arguably the most controversial member of them all was Trump’s first interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, whose tenure was almost cartoonishly provocative: The Montana Republican came under at least 15 different investigations before resigning under a cloud of controversy. In December 2018, The New York Times published a round-up of Zinke-related probes, and it was a strikingly long list. Media Matters also put together a timeline of the former interior secretary’s “questionable actions and controversies,” and that list was even longer.

In one especially memorable story, Zinke, before Montana voters re-elected him to Congress, was even accused of misusing public resources on, of all things, helicopter rides.

Eight years later, if The Atlantic’s reporting is correct, another one of Trump’s choices to lead the Interior Department appears to be reading from a similar playbook.

#47’s Cabinet

Federal Agency Functions
National Park Service (NPS) The National Park Service (NPS) cares for the more than 400 national parks in the United States. The National Park Service partners with local communities to assist in historic preservation and the creation and maintenance of recreational spaces.
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) The Department of Commerce (DOC) works with businesses, universities, communities, and the Nation’s workers to promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, and improved standards of living for Americans.
Small Business Administration (SBS) The Small Business Administration (SBS) helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships, the Small Business Administration assists and protects the interests of small business concerns.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protects people and the environment from significant health risks, sponsors and conducts research, and develops and enforces environmental regulations.
Department of Justice (DOJ) The Department of Justice (DOJ) enforces federal laws, seeks just punishment for the guilty, and ensures the fair and impartial administration of justice.
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) collects, evaluates, and disseminates vital information on economic, military, political, scientific, and other developments abroad to safeguard national security.
Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) integrates the intelligence gathering and analysis functions performed across the intelligence community to provide intelligence to decision makers.
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) oversees the performance of federal agencies, and administers the federal budget.
Department of Defense (DOD) The Department of Defense (DOD) provides the military forces needed to deter war, and to protect the security of the United States.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) The Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues.
Department of Energy (DOE) The Department of Energy (DOE) manages the United States’ nuclear infrastructure and administers the country’s energy policy. The Department of Energy also funds scientific research in the field.
Department of Education (ED) The Department of Education (ED) fosters educational excellence and ensures equal access to educational opportunity for all.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) protects the health of all Americans and provides essential human services.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) works to improve the security of the United States. The Department’s work includes customs, border, and immigration enforcement, emergency response to natural and manmade disasters, antiterrorism work, and cybersecurity.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers programs that provide housing and community development assistance. The Department also works to ensure fair and equal housing opportunity for all.
Department of the Interior (DOI) The Department of the Interior (DOI) manages public lands and minerals, national parks, and wildlife refuges and upholds Federal trust responsibilities to Indian tribes and Native Alaskans. Additionally, Interior is responsible for endangered species conservation and other environmental conservation efforts.
Department of Labor (DOL) The Department of Labor (DOL) administers federal labor laws to guarantee workers’ rights to fair, safe, and healthy working conditions, including minimum hourly wage and overtime pay, protection against employment discrimination, and unemployment insurance.
Department of State (DOS) The Department of State (DOS) advises the President and leads the nation in foreign policy issues. The State Department negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign entities and represents the United States at the United Nations.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) runs programs benefiting veterans and members of their families. It offers education opportunities and rehabilitation services and provides compensation payments for disabilities or death related to military service, home loan guaranties, pensions, burials, and health care that includes the services of nursing homes, clinics, and medical centers.
Department of Transportation (DOT) The Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for planning and coordinating federal transportation projects. It also sets safety regulations for all major modes of transportation.
Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury manages federal finances by collecting taxes and paying bills and by managing currency, government accounts and public debt. The Department of the Treasury also enforces finance and tax laws.
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) negotiates with foreign governments to craft trade agreements and resolve disputes.

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