Trump picks Doug Burgum for interior secretary

WASHINGTON

US President-elect Donald Trump announced North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as his pick for secretary of the Department of the Interior on Thursday.

"I look forward to doing the formal announcement, although this is a pretty big announcement right now, actually. He's going to head the Department of Interior, and he's going to be fantastic," Trump said at a gala for the America First Policy Institute at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.

Trump began to choose a Cabinet and select high-ranking officials after last week's presidential election victory.

Earlier, he said he intends to nominate former Congressman Doug Collins as secretary of veterans affairs.

"We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need," Trump said in a statement.

Separately, Trump announced that Dean John Sauer will serve as US solicitor general and picked his attorney Todd Blanche as deputy attorney general.

Trump won the election with 312 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 threshold against his Democratic rival Vice President Kamala Harris.

Winning a second nonconsecutive term in the White House, he will be sworn into office Jan. 20, 2025 for a four-year term.