BLM nominee backs out after past criticism of Jan. 6 attack surfaces
Kathleen Sgamma withdrew her nomination to lead the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) just before her Senate confirmation hearing, following the resurfacing of her 2021 condemnation of the Capitol riot and Trump’s role in it.
Maxine Joselow reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- Sgamma, head of the Western Energy Alliance, had been nominated by President Trump to lead the BLM, which oversees roughly one-tenth of U.S. land.
- A 2021 letter obtained by Documented showed Sgamma was “disgusted” by Trump’s misinformation about the Jan. 6 attack and praised Biden’s call for moderation — positions that clashed with Trump’s current rhetoric.
- Critics, including conservation groups, praised Sgamma's withdrawal, questioning her lack of transparency about the WEA's membership and potential conflicts of interest.
Key quote:
“I will continue to support President Trump and fight for his agenda to Unleash American Energy in the private sector.”
— Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance
Why this matters:
The BLM controls more public land than any other federal agency, making its leadership critical to decisions about energy development, environmental protection, and tribal and recreational land use. Under Trump’s second term, the agency is expected to push for expanded fossil fuel extraction. Sgamma’s nomination — and abrupt withdrawal — highlight the administration’s insistence on ideological loyalty, even over past public condemnations of political violence. Her exit also draws attention to the oil and gas industry's influence on federal land policy. With public lands at the center of debates over climate policy and environmental justice, leadership at the BLM carries high stakes for health and the environment.
