Trump nominates Keith Sonderling for permanent labor secretary role

President Donald Trump said he will nominate Keith Sonderling, who has been serving as acting labor secretary, to lead the Labor Department on a permanent basis.

The move sets up another Senate confirmation fight for a key cabinet post and signals continuity in the administration’s labor policy direction. Sonderling has been running the department in an acting role since Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned in April.

Nomination announcement

Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal reported the nomination on Tuesday, and The Guardian later corroborated the news. According to those reports, Trump praised Sonderling’s leadership and commitment in announcing the pick.

The nomination is not final until the White House transmits it to the Senate and lawmakers act on it. No confirmation hearing or vote had been scheduled in the reporting reviewed for this story.

Sonderling’s background

Sonderling previously served as deputy secretary of labor and has also held roles at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. That background makes him familiar with the department’s structure and core enforcement functions.

The Labor Department oversees workplace, wage and labor policy, making the role one of the administration’s more consequential cabinet posts.

Chavez-DeRemer’s exit

Chavez-DeRemer left the post in April, after which Sonderling took over in an acting capacity. AP and The Guardian reported that her resignation followed misconduct allegations or investigations; Chavez-DeRemer denied those claims.

The personnel shift left the department under temporary leadership until Trump chose a permanent nominee.

What happens next

The next steps are procedural but important: the White House must formally send the nomination to the Senate, and senators will then decide whether to advance it.

The key questions now are whether the administration issues a fuller policy statement for Sonderling and how quickly the Senate schedules consideration.