Keith Sonderling, a longtime government official and acting U.S. secretary of labor, has been nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump to formally lead the U.S. Department of Labor.
Trump announced the nomination on Monday, calling it his “great honor” to select Sonderling, who is Jewish and the grandson of Holocaust survivors, for the position. The post has been vacant since April 20, after Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned.
“Throughout his career, Keith has proven his dedication to delivering strong results for the hardworking people of our country, and I know he will do an incredible job in his new role,” the president wrote.
Sonderling stated that he was “deeply grateful to President Trump for his trust and confidence,” adding that serving in both of Trump’s administrations had been “the greatest honor of my life.”
“If confirmed by the Senate, I look forward to continuing that service as secretary of labor and advancing the president’s agenda on behalf of America’s workers, families, unions and job creators,” he said.
Sonderling, who previously served as deputy secretary of labor and the department’s chief operating officer, assumed the acting secretary role after Chavez-DeRemer’s departure. He previously led Trump’s transition team at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and served on the landing team at the Labor Department.
During Trump’s first term, Sonderling served as an EEOC commissioner, where he pushed the agency to address antisemitism in the workplace. He advocated for companies and organizations to incorporate education on anti-Jewish prejudice into diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as well as for faith-based employee resource groups and clearer religious accommodation policies.
“President Trump picked the right person for the job,” Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, wrote. “Keith Sonderling understands what it takes to support American workers, create jobs and get government out of the way.”
Walberg added that Sonderling’s experience leading the Labor Department and advancing Trump’s “America First” agenda makes him “the right person to expand opportunity for hardworking families, support job creators, and ensure workers—not Washington bureaucrats—come first.”
