‘I was talking about her, not him’: Trump admits the real reason he hired his Interior Secretary, and it wasn’t his resume

President Donald Trump shared an unusual detail about how he picked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum for his Cabinet. He said he hired Burgum partly because he was impressed by Burgum’s wife, Kathryn. Trump explained this while signing an executive order to fight drug addiction, saying that a person’s spouse shows a lot about their overall success.

According to Mediaite, the president said he first saw the couple in a video where they were riding horses. He immediately asked who the person was, but he wasn’t asking about the future Secretary. “I saw them riding horses in a video and I said, ‘Who is that?’ I was talking about her, not him,” Trump said from the Oval Office, pointing toward Kathryn Burgum.

Trump explained his thinking, saying, “They explained it, and I said, ‘I’m going to hire him’ because anybody that has somebody like you to be with, it’s an amazing tribute.” He called them a “great couple, amazing couple” and said Kathryn was “a big part” of Burgum’s success. Trump noted that Burgum was very successful in business before serving two terms as North Dakota’s governor.

Trump’s addiction recovery order connects to personal experiences

The signing event focused on fighting addiction across America. Trump signed an executive order called “the Great American Recovery Initiative”. The order directs federal agencies to combine programs for drug prevention, treatment, and recovery support. It also makes sure grant money goes toward recovery efforts and raising awareness about addiction.

Several officials at the signing have personal connections to addiction. Kathryn Burgum, who has been sober for 22 years, spoke in support of the order. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, and White House drug czar Sara Carter also attended.

The Trump administration’s recent foreign policy moves have shown his willingness to take bold action on various issues. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, shared that his son died from a drug overdose. Trump himself has a personal connection to this issue. 

His older brother, Fred Trump, died at age 42 from a heart attack linked to alcohol addiction. “Many of those with me today have personally known the heartache of a loved one taken by drug or alcohol addiction. I do,” Trump said.

The president has said before that his family experience drives his work on the opioid crisis. He mentioned he wouldn’t be putting this much time and energy into fighting addiction if he hadn’t gone through the experience with Fred. Trump’s approach to leadership has drawn attention both domestically and internationally, including his recent confrontations with world leaders.

Before becoming Interior Secretary, Burgum was reportedly Trump’s first choice for Vice President in 2024. However, that changed when Donald Trump Jr. convinced his father to pick JD Vance instead. Trump Jr. sent his father an article about Karl Rove supporting Burgum, which was enough to change the president’s mind.