Trump Public Lands Nominee Withdraws Over Jan. 6 Criticism/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Kathleen Sgamma, President Trump’s nominee for the Bureau of Land Management, withdrew after past criticism of Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot resurfaced. Her departure comes amid Trump’s loyalty-driven reshaping of the Interior Department. Environmental reviews on oil and gas leases in seven states have also been canceled.
Trump Land Management Nominee Withdraws: Quick Looks
- Kathleen Sgamma withdrew her nomination after 2021 comments criticizing Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack resurfaced.
- Sgamma called Trump’s actions “disgusting” in remarks reported by watchdog group Documented.
- Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said the withdrawal was “self-inflicted.”
- Sgamma was poised to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and oversee 245 million acres of public lands.
- Her withdrawal highlights Trump’s demand for loyalty in key political appointments.
- The BLM manages lands used for oil, gas, mining, grazing, and recreation.
- Trump is reversing Biden-era environmental policies, favoring fossil fuel development.
- Officials scrapped environmental reviews for leases in seven states, totaling 5,500 square miles.
- Trump also signed an order to restart federal coal leasing on BLM lands.
- Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said the Senate will work with Trump to nominate a new candidate.
Trump Public Lands Nominee Withdraws Over Jan. 6 Criticism
Deep Look
In a political setback for President Donald Trump’s energy agenda, Kathleen Sgamma, a longtime advocate for fossil fuel development, withdrew her nomination to lead the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) following the resurfacing of critical comments she made about Trump’s role in the January 6 Capitol attack.
Sgamma’s withdrawal was announced Thursday at the outset of her Senate confirmation hearing, bringing a sudden end to her nomination to oversee an agency responsible for managing 245 million acres of public land—about one-tenth of all land in the United States.
Her departure was reportedly prompted by 2021 comments in which she said she was “disgusted by the violence witnessed yesterday and President Trump’s role in spreading misinformation that incited it.” The remarks were initially reported by Documented, a nonprofit watchdog group.
Trump loyalists, including former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, were quick to comment. Bernhardt labeled the withdrawal “self-inflicted,” and posted a link to the comments online, adding that political appointees must align with the president’s views.
The incident underscores the broader “loyalty test” shaping Trump’s second-term appointments, as critics warn dissent—even from ideological allies—is no longer tolerated.
“If that’s what happened — where being sane and acknowledging reality with the White House is enough to sink a nomination — that’s the world we’re in,” said Aaron Weiss of the Center for Western Priorities.
Sgamma, a veteran of the oil and gas lobbying sector, was expected to push Trump’s agenda of rolling back environmental restrictions, particularly in the West, where the BLM controls large tracts of land used for energy production, mining, ranching, and recreation.
Her withdrawal comes as the Trump administration moves aggressively to reverse Biden-era conservation and climate policies. On Thursday, officials announced they would no longer conduct comprehensive environmental reviews for oil and gas leases covering 5,500 square miles in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. These leases, initially issued between 2015 and 2020, had been tied up in legal disputes during Biden’s presidency.
Also this week, Trump signed an executive order to boost coal production, ending the Biden-era ban on new federal coal leasing on public lands, particularly in Wyoming and Montana—home to some of the nation’s largest coal reserves.
Trump’s approach marks a sharp departure from the previous administration, which sought to expand renewable energy development and curtail fossil fuel extraction on federal lands. During his first term, Trump moved the BLM’s headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Grand Junction, Colorado—a controversial decision later reversed by Biden.
At the start of Trump’s second term, the BLM employed about 10,000 people, yet went four years without a Senate-confirmed director. Sgamma’s nomination was seen as an opportunity to install a figurehead closely aligned with the president’s energy priorities.
Her withdrawal was formally announced by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-UT), who pledged to work with the White House to identify a new nominee.
“Its work directly impacts millions of Americans — especially in the West — and its leadership matters,” Lee said.
Lee has previously championed transferring federal lands to state control, and Utah filed a legal challenge last year attempting to seize BLM land within its borders. The effort was ultimately rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.
As the search begins for a new nominee, Trump’s reshaping of federal land policy continues full throttle—backed by a legislative and executive push to dismantle environmental protections, restart fossil fuel extraction, and reassert control over federal lands that had been increasingly regulated under Biden.
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