Ryan Zinke | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMontana | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency reestablished[a] |
| Constituency | 1st district |
| In office January 3, 2015 – March 1, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Daines |
| Succeeded by | Greg Gianforte |
| Constituency | At-large district |
| 52ndUnited States Secretary of the Interior | |
| In office March 1, 2017 – January 2, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | David Bernhardt |
| Preceded by | Sally Jewell |
| Succeeded by | David Bernhardt |
| Member of theMontana Senate from the 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Dan Weinberg |
| Succeeded by | Dee L. Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ryan Keith Zinke (1961-11-01)November 1, 1961 (age 63) Bozeman, Montana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Oregon (BS) National University (MBA) University of San Diego (MS) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1986–2008 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Unit | SEAL Team Six SEAL Team One NSWU-2 Naval Special Warfare Center |
| Awards | Bronze Star (2) Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2) Meritorious Service Medal (4) Joint Service Commendation Medal (2) Army Commendation Medal |
Zinke speaks on harassment within theU.S. Department of the Interior Recorded December 14, 2017 | |
Ryan Keith Zinke (/ˈzɪŋki/ZING-kee; born November 1, 1961) is an American politician and businessman serving as theU.S. representative forMontana's 1st congressional district since 2023. A member of theRepublican Party, Zinke served in theMontana Senate from 2009 to 2013 and as the U.S. representative for theat-large congressional district from 2015 to 2017.[1] He served as theUnited States secretary of the interior under presidentDonald Trump from 2017 until his resignation in 2019 following a series of ethics inquiries.[2]
Zinke graduated from multiple colleges before he was aU.S. Navy SEAL from 1986 until 2008, retiring as acommander.[3] The first SEAL to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives,[4] he formerly served as a member of theNatural Resources Committee and theArmed Services Committee.[5] As a member of Congress, Zinke supported the use of ground troops in the Middle East to combat ISIS, and opposed theAffordable Care Act, various environmental regulations, and the transfer of federal lands to individual states.
Zinke was appointed secretary of the interior by Trump. He was confirmed on March 1, 2017, becoming the first SEAL and the first Montanan since statehood to occupy a Cabinet position.[6][7]
As Secretary, Zinke opened some federal lands for oil, gas and mineral exploration and extraction.[8] His actions as interior secretary raised ethical questions and were investigated by the Interior Department'sOffice of Inspector General.[9][10] In October 2018, the Interior's inspector general referred the investigation to the Department of Justice.[11][12] On December 15, 2018, Trump announced that Zinke would leave his post as of January 2, 2019,[13][14] to be replaced by his deputy,David Bernhardt.[15] The Inspector General's report concluded that Zinke had repeatedly violated ethical rules and then lied to investigators.[16][17]
Zinke was born inBozeman, Montana, and raised inWhitefish. He is the son of Jean Montana Harlow Petersen and Ray Dale Zinke, a plumber.[18][19] He was anEagle Scout.[20] He was a star athlete at Whitefish High School and accepted a footballscholarship to theUniversity of Oregon inEugene; recruited as an outsidelinebacker, he switched to offense and was an undersized startingcenter for theOregon Ducks in thePac-10 under head coachRich Brooks.[21][22] Zinke earned abachelor of science degree ingeology in 1984 and graduated with honors.[23][24] He intended to pursue a career in underwater geology.[24] Despite never working as a geologist, Zinke publicly calls himself a geologist.[24][25] He earned amaster's degree in business administration fromNational University in 1993 and aMaster of Science degree in global leadership from theUniversity of San Diego in 2003.[23]
Zinke served as aU.S. Navy SEAL from 1986 to 2008, retiring at the rank ofcommander.[26] He graduated from Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training (BUD/S) class 136 in February 1986[3] and subsequently served with SEAL Team ONE. Following SEAL Tactical Training and completion of a six-month probationary period, he received the 1130 designator as a Naval Special Warfare Officer, entitled to wear theSpecial Warfare insignia also known as "SEAL Trident". Zinke was assigned as a First Phase Officer of BUD/S from 1988 to 1991. In 1991, he received orders toUnited States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) and completed a specialized selection and training course. Zinke served at the command until 1993, during which time he planned, rehearsed, and took part in carrying out classified operations.[21][27] He then served as a Plans officer for Commander in Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe and served a second tour with NSWDG as team leader, ground force commander, task force commander and current operations officer from 1996 to 1999.[21]
In the late 1990s, Zinke paid back the Navy $211 after improperly billing the government for personal travel expenses. His former commanding officer, retired vice admiralAlbert M. Calland III, said that as a result, Zinke received a June 1999Fitness Report that blocked him from being promoted to acommanding officer position or to the rank ofcaptain.[28][29] Zinke acknowledged the error but maintains that the incident did not adversely affect his career.[28] His promotion from lieutenant commander to commander was approved the next year.[30]
From 1999 to 2001, Zinke served as executive officer for Naval Special Warfare Unit Two and then as executive officer, Naval Special Warfare Center from 2001 to 2004. In 2004, Zinke was the deputy and acting commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula.[23] His campaign website stated that he was "the deputy and acting commander" of Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force–Arabian Peninsula and "led a force of more than 3,500 Special Operations personnel in Iraq" in 2004.[28] Retired Major General Michael S. Repass, who was Zinke's superior in Iraq, toldThe New York Times that these claims "might be a stretch" but that Zinke "did a good job" and was "a competent guy".[28] After his tours in Iraq, Zinke served "as the second-ranking officer (and briefly acting commander) of the main SEAL training center."[28] In 2006, he was selected to establish theNaval Special Warfare Advanced Training Command, serving as dean of the graduate school until his retirement from active duty in 2008.[23] The graduate school had 250 educators, offering over 43 college-level courses to over 2,500 students annually at 15 different locations worldwide.[31] Zinke retired from the Navy in 2008.[28][29]
In 2005, Zinke formed Continental Divide International, aproperty management andbusiness developmentconsulting company. His family members are officers of the company. In 2009, Zinke formed the consulting company On Point Montana. He served on the board of theoil pipeline company QS Energy (formerly Save the World Air) from 2012 to 2015. In November 2014, Zinke announced that he would pass Continental Divide to his family while remaining in an advisory role.[34]
In January 2019, Zinke began a new job as the managing director of Artillery One, a cryptocurrency investment firm founded by investor Daniel Cannon, saying that he was "going to make Artillery One great again."[35] In an interview, he said:
"I'm focused on cybersecurity, protection of infrastructure and emerging countries that can act as a test bed for new technologies. There is some suspicion that blockchain does not really work. We think it does and we want to showcase the utility and flexibility of the model."[36]
The company is working on a test bed project inKosovo, where Zinke served during his time in the U.S. Navy.[36] Zinke also took consulting jobs with several energy firms.[37]
Zinke was elected to the Montana Senate in 2008, serving from 2009 to 2013, representing the city ofWhitefish. While serving in the State Senate, he "was widely seen as a moderate Republican" but drifted to the right.[38] Zinke was selected as chair of the Senate Education Committee and promoted technology in the classroom, rural access to education and local control over schools.[39] He also served on the Senate Finance and Claims Committee.[40] As a state senator, Zinke was also a member of theSEMA-supported State Automotive Enthusiast and Leadership Caucus, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers sharing an appreciation for automobiles.[41][42]
In 2008, Zinke said he "support[s] increased coal production for electrical generation and believe[s] it can and should be done with adequate environmental safeguards" and that he "believe[s] the use ofalternate energy sources and clean coal is preferred over petroleum based fuels".[43] In 2010, he signed a letter callingglobal warming "a threat multiplier for instability in the most volatile regions of the world" and saying that "the clean energy and climate challenge is America's new space race". The letter spoke of "catastrophic" costs and "unprecedented economic consequences" that would result from failing to act on climate change and asked PresidentBarack Obama and Speaker of the HouseNancy Pelosi to champion sweeping clean energy and climate legislation.[44]
In 2013, Zinke hosted a radio show in which he engaged with and promoted fringe conspiratorial views, includingbirtherism (the contention that Obama was not born in the United States). Zinke said on the show that he was not sure whether Obama was a foreign citizen and called on Obama to release his college transcripts. Later, in 2016, as a congressman, Zinke appeared on the radio showWhere's Obama's Birth Certificate, known for its promotion of birther conspiracy theories.[45]
Zinke was the running mate of Montana gubernatorial candidateNeil Livingstone in the2012 election.[46] The Livingstone/Zinke ticket won 8.8% of the vote, a total of 12,038 votes, and finished fifth out of seven in the Republican primary.[47] The eventual nominees, Rick Hill and Jon Sonju, lost the general election to the Democratic nominees, Attorney General Steve Bullock and Montana National Guardsman John Walsh.
In 2012, Zinke founded asuper PAC named Special Operations for America, or SOFA, to supportMitt Romney's2012 presidential campaign. It raised over $100,000[48] and paid $28,258 to Continental Divide International, Zinke's company, for fundraising consulting.[49] Zinke appointed right-wing commentatorPaul E. Vallely, a promoter of"birther" claims and other anti-Obama conspiracy theories, to SOFA's board.[50] Zinke announced he was resigning as chairman of SOFA on September 30, 2013, with his friend former Navy SEAL Gary Stubblefield taking his place.[48] While Zinke's financial disclosure report for 2014 listed him as chairman of SOFA, SOFA had been making independent expenditures in support of Zinke's campaign since November 20, 2013.[49] In 2014, theCampaign Legal Center andDemocracy 21 filed a complaint with theFederal Election Commission regarding coordination between Zinke's campaign and SOFA. As of December 2016, the FEC had taken no action on the matter.[49]
In the spring of 2014, Zinke announced his candidacy forMontana'sat-largecongressional district, a seat vacated when theincumbent,Steve Daines,successfully sought a seat in the U.S. Senate.[51]
During the Republican primary, Zinke attracted attention for callingHillary Rodham Clinton "the real enemy" and the "anti-Christ."[38][52] He touted hisanti-abortion credentials and was endorsed by the Montana Right to Life Association.[53]
Zinke won the five-way Republican primary with 43,766 votes (33.25%) and defeatedLibertarianperennial candidateMike Fellows andDemocratic nominee John Lewis, a former state director for U.S. SenatorMax Baucus, in the general election, with 55.4% of the nearly 350,000 votes cast statewide.[54]
In 2016, Zinke ran unopposed in the Republican primary on June 7 and faced theDemocratic nominee,Superintendent of Public InstructionDenise Juneau in the general election on November 8.[55] He defeated Juneau with 56% of the vote.[56]
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In Congress, Zinke supported the deployment of U.S. ground troops to combatISIS, "abandoning" theAffordable Care Act, and cutting regulations.[38] He supported a Republican effort to repeal theestate tax.[57][58]
Zinke condemned the "anti-Semitic views" held byneo-Nazis planning a march in support ofRichard B. Spencer inWhitefish, Montana, in January 2017.[59]
In 2015, Zinke voted for an amendment proposed by RepresentativeDave Loebsack that provided for the expansion of the use of digital learning through the establishment of a competitive grant program to implement and evaluate the results of technology-based learning practices.[60] The amendment passed, 218–213,[61] but stalled and died in the Senate.
Zinke frequently voted in opposition to environmentalists on issues including coal extraction and oil and gas drilling.[62] When Trump opened nearly all U.S. coastal waters to extractive drilling, rescinding Obama's protections, nearly a dozen coastal states protested. Zinke visited with Florida governorRon DeSantis and exempted only Florida's coast from drilling.[63][64]
Zinke has shifted over time on the issue ofclimate change.[65] In 2010, while in the Montana Senate, Zinke was one of nearly 1,200 state legislators who signed a letter to PresidentBarack Obama and Congress calling for "comprehensive clean energy jobs and climate change legislation."[65] Since 2010, however, he has repeatedly expressed doubt aboutanthropogenic climate change; in an October 2014 debate, Zinke said, "it's not a hoax, but it's not proven science either."[65] During Senate confirmation hearings on his nomination as Interior Secretary, Zinke said that humans "influence" climate change, but did not acknowledge thescientific consensus that human activity is the dominant cause of climate change.[66]
Zinke broke with most Republicans on the issue of transfers offederal lands to the states, calling such proposals "extreme" and voting against them.[67] In July 2016, he withdrew as a delegate to theRepublican National Convention in protest of the portion of the party's draftplatform that would require that certain public lands be transferred to state control. Zinke said he endorsed "better management of federal land" rather than transfers.[68]
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Zinke was named as President-electDonald Trump's nominee forUnited States Secretary of the Interior on December 13, 2016, at the recommendation of Trump's son,Donald Trump Jr.[70][71] TheSenate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved his nomination by a 16–6 vote on January 31, 2017,[72] and he was confirmed by the full Senate by a 68–31 vote on March 1.[7][73] Zinke had the support of both of Montana's senators, including DemocratJon Tester.[74] Zinke was sworn into office by Vice PresidentMike Pence the same day.[75]
The day after his swearing-in, Zinke rode aUnited States Park Police horse named Tonto several blocks to the entrance of the Department of Interior'sMain Interior Building to his official welcoming ceremony.[76][77]
On May 24, 2017, in theMontana special election to fill Zinke's vacatedHouse seat,Republican nomineeGreg Gianforte defeatedDemocratic nomineeRob Quist, with 49.7% of the vote to Quist's 44.1%.[78]
On his first full day in office, Zinke rescinded the policy implemented by outgoingFish and Wildlife Service DirectorDaniel M. Ashe on January 19, 2017, the last day of theObama administration, that banned the use of lead bullets and leadfishing tackle innational wildlife refuges. Zinke said in a statement:
"Over the past eight years … hunting, and recreation enthusiasts have seen trails closed and dramatic decreases in access to public lands across the board. It worries me to think about hunting and fishing becoming activities for the land-owning elite. This package of secretarial orders will expand access for outdoor enthusiasts and also make sure the community's voice is heard."[79]
The regulation was meant to help preventlead contamination of plants and animals.[80][81][82]
The move was opposed by theSierra Club,[80]Center for Biological Diversity,[83] and other environmental groups.[82][83] The rollback was praised, however, by SenatorSteve Daines,[80] theNational Rifle Association of America,[80][81] andNational Shooting Sports Foundation,[83] as well as other "gun rights advocates, sportsmen's groups, conservatives and state wildlife agencies."[80]
In April 2017, Zinke began reviewing at least 27 national monuments to determine whether any of them could be reduced in size. In June 2017, he recommended thatBears Ears National Monument's boundaries be scaled back. In August, he added theGrand Staircase–Escalante National Monument andCascade-Siskiyou National Monument to the list of monuments to be shrunk, while also calling for new management rules for multiple national monuments to decrease the number of actions that are prohibited within the monuments.[84][85][86]
In December 2017, Trump signed executive proclamations that reduced Bears Ears National Monument by 85% and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument by almost 46%. These moves prompted several legal challenges. A day later, Zinke issued a report recommending that Trump also shrink two more national monuments—Gold Butte National Monument in Nevada andCascade–Siskiyou National Monument in Oregon. He also recommended changes to the management of six other national monuments.[87] These changes were welcomed by Republicans such as RepresentativeRob Bishop, the chair of theHouse Natural Resources Committee, but condemned by Democrats and environmentalist groups such as theNatural Resources Defense Council andSierra Club.[87][88]
AfterThe New York Times took Zinke's Interior Department to court, it won and got 25,000 documents, of which 4,500 pages were related to Zinke's multi-monument review, and which showed the administration set out to increase coal, oil and gas mining access. The documents also showed that the Zinke administration's new map largely matched a map previously promoted by longtime UtahSenator Orrin Hatch, whose plan claimed it "would resolve all known mineral conflicts for SITLA [Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration] within the Bears Ears… the real [beneficiaries] are Utah schoolchildren and the people of San Juan County", a claim the Utah Diné Bikéyah tribe disputed as hypocritical.[89]
In September 2017, it was reported that on June 26, Zinke had chartered a jet belonging to an oil industry executive for a flight fromLas Vegas toKalispell, Montana. Zinke had been in Las Vegas to make an announcement related to public lands and to deliver a speech to theNational Hockey League'sVegas Golden Knights, an expansion franchise owned byWilliam P. Foley, a major donor to Zinke's congressional campaigns. The chartered flight cost taxpayers $12,375. Costs for commercial flights between Las Vegas and Kalispell typically start at $300. Upon arrival in Kalispell, Zinke spent the night at his private residence before delivering remarks at the annual meeting of theWestern Governors Association the next morning. Zinke and his staffers returned to Washington on a commercial flight the next day.[10][90][91]
Zinke used private aircraft and performed political duties in relation to an April 1 trip betweenSt. Croix andSt. Thomas in theU.S. Virgin Islands. Zinke had been in St. Croix on March 30 for an official meeting with GovernorKenneth Mapp during the day, and spent the night at a fundraiser for theRepublican Party of the Virgin Islands, where attendees who pledged between $1,500 and $5,000 were allowed to have their pictures taken with Zinke. The next morning, he took a private flight costing the government $3,150 to St. Thomas to celebrate the centennial of the islands' handover to the United States byDenmark.[92]
In December 2017,Politico reported that Zinke had booked government helicopters for more than $14,000 to travel in June and July 2017.[93] One of these trips was the swearing-in ceremony of his successor in Congress; the Department of Interior defended the use of government helicopters instead of a two-hour car drive by saying Zinke would otherwise not be able to fully participate in the ceremony.[93] An Interior spokesperson also told aPolitico reporter asking about the expenses, "Shame on you for not respecting the office of a member of Congress."[93] Another of these trips was the use of a Park Police helicopter to have a horseback ride with Vice President Mike Pence; the Interior Department justified the use of the helicopter over the three-hour car drive by saying, "the Secretary will be able to familiarize himself with the in-flight capabilities of an aircraft he is in charge of" and that Park Police staff would "provide an added measure of security to the Secretary during his travel."[93] Zinke dismissedPolitico's reporting as "total fabrications and a wild departure of reality" but did not identify any inaccuracies in the reporting.[94]
In October 2017, the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched an investigation into Zinke's use of three charter flights during his tenure as Interior Secretary.[9] In April 2018, OIG released its report, concluding that Zinke's chartered flight to give the June 2017 speech to the Las Vegas Golden Knights was authorized "without complete information" and that the speech was not official business because Zinke did not discuss the Interior Department or his role as Interior Secretary. OIG concluded that the two other charter flights, one to Alaska and the other to the U.S. Virgin Islands, "appeared to have been reasonable as related to official DOI business."[95][96]
In October 2017, theUnited States Office of Special Counsel launched aHatch Act investigation into Zinke's meeting with the Vegas Golden Knights.[97]
In a March 2018Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Zinke said it was false that he had taken a private jet anywhere, noting that the charter flights he took were on aircraft with propellers, not jet engines.[98]
As of October 30, 2018, the OIG had referred Zinke to the Department of Justice for investigation, including of whether he lied to the OIG about his involvement in reviewing a tribal casino project in Connecticut.[99] The two Connecticut tribes claim that the Interior Department refused to sign off on the casino project after intense lobbying byMGM Resorts International and two Nevada Republican lawmakers.[100] Zinke said the OIG interviewed him twice about the casino decision and that he was truthful both times.[101] In late 2019, Deputy Attorney GeneralJeffrey Rosen stalled the probe into Zinke. Federal prosecutors had proposed to move forward with possible criminal charges against Zinke over his involvement in the casino deal.[102][103] In doing so, Rosen also prevented the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General from making public a report about the casino deal.[102]
Assuming his duties as Interior Secretary, Zinke ordered Interior Department officials to fly theofficial secretarial flag over theMain Interior Building whenever he was in the building, and that of hisdeputy, David Bernhardt, whenever Zinke was away and Bernhardt the highest-ranking official present. According toThe Washington Post, "no one can remember [the flag ritual] ever happening in the federal government."[104][dead link]
In November 2017, it was announced that Trump, on Zinke's advice, wanted to lift the import ban on elephant and otherbig-game trophies fromZambia andZimbabwe to the United States. A passionate hunter, Zinke justified himself to critics by saying that he had his best childhood memories of hunting with his father and that he was anxious to promote hunting for American families.[105] Critics feared that lifting the import ban would trigger a wave of U.S. hunters, and that the decision would be a major blow to the survival of the elephant species. Two days later, Trump put his decision on hold, saying that he wanted to better inform himself on the issue.[106][107][108]
In a memo dated March 1, 2018, the Fish and Wildlife Services, which operates under the Department of the Interior, declared that it would permit trophy hunting for elephants on a "case-by-case basis."[109][110][111]
In 2017, Zinke took steps to unwind a 2015 plan that protected thegreater sage-grouse. The Interior Department sought to change sage grouse habitat management plans in 10 states in a way that could open the sage-grouse habitat tomineral extraction andgrazing. These proposals were welcomed by the oil and gas industry and condemned by environmentalists.[112][113] In April 2021, a federal judge blocked this expansion of livestock grazing in Nevada across four hundred square miles (1,000 km2) of some of the highest-priority sage-grouse habitat in the West.[114]
Under Zinke, the Interior Department adopted a restrictive interpretation of theMigratory Bird Treaty Act, issuing aguidance document stating that the killing of birds "resulting from an activity is not prohibited by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act when the underlying purpose of that activity is not to take birds."[115] The move was opposed by a bipartisan group of 17 former top Interior Department officials, including seven former heads of migratory bird management at theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who served in every administration fromNixon toObama. In a letter sent to Zinke and members of Congress, the former officials wrote, "This legal opinion is contrary to the long-standing interpretation by every administration (Republican and Democrat) since at least the 1970s."[116][117]
In June 2017, Zinke called for the elimination of 4,000 jobs from the Interior Department and supported the White House proposal to cut the department's budget by 13.4%.[118] The same month, he ordered 50 Interior members of theSenior Executive Service to be reassigned, "forcing many into jobs for which they had little experience and that were in different locations."[119] The scope of the move was unusual.[120][121] One reassigned Interior senior executive, scientist Joel Clement, published anop-ed inThe Washington Post saying that the reassignment was retaliation against him "for speaking out publicly about the dangers that climate change poses to Alaska Native communities."[120][122][123] The moves prompted the Interior Departments' Office of Inspector General to launch a probe.[120]
In 2017, in a speech to theNational Petroleum Council, Zinke said that one-third of Interior Department employees were disloyal to Trump and that "[he's] got 30 percent of the crew that's not loyal to the flag". His remarks prompted objections from the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, Public Lands Foundation and Association of Retired Fish and Wildlife Service Employees (which called the comments "simply ludicrous, and deeply insulting")[124] and SenatorMaria Cantwell, theranking member of theSenate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (who said that Zinke had a "fundamental misunderstanding of the role" of thefederal civil service).[119]
In 2018, as in 2017, Zinke proposed budget cuts to the Interior Department for fiscal year 2019, mostly from the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. His proposed budget would also have cut theLand and Water Conservation Fund to $8 million from $425 million in 2018.[125]
In August 2018, Zinke said that "environmental terrorist groups" were to blame for thewildfires in California, and that they had "nothing to do with climate change". Fire scientists and forestry experts rejected that claim, attributing the increasingly destructive wildfires to heat and drought caused by climate change.[126] Later that month, Zinke walked back some of his earlier remarks, acknowledging that climate change played a part in the fires.[127] He also said that preventing removal of dead trees has increased the amount of flammable material and hurttimber salvaging.[128]
In October 2018, FOIA requests revealed that Zinke's calendar, which was supposed to cover the Secretary of the Interior's activities, contained glaring omissions. Zinke met with lobbyists and business executives on a number of occasions.[129][130] Reporting from September 2018 noted that the calendars of his activities were "so vaguely described... that the public is unable tell what he was doing or with whom he was meeting."[131]
On December 15, 2018, Trump announced that Zinke would leave "the Administration at the end of the year";[132] he later tweeted that he would name the new Secretary of the Interior the following week.[133] According toThe Washington Post, Zinke had submitted his resignation the same morning.[134] Zinke himself later posted a statement on Twitter, saying, "I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars defending myself and my family against false allegations…It is better for the President and Interior to focus on accomplishments rather than fictitious allegations."[135] His resignation came just a week after former White House Chief of StaffJohn Kelly's departure was announced.
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrumpSecretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation.......
December 15, 2018
Zinke was facing several federal probes, including the "Montana land deal" in which a foundation owned by Zinke and thechairman of energy firmHalliburton,David Lesar, were accused of wrongdoing in relation to a development project in Zinke's home town ofWhitefish, Montana.[136] The Department of Justice was also investigating his use of personal email.[137]
In May 2020, Zinke criticized the investigations that led to his departure, saying they were politicized and that such investigations would result in only billionaires being able to afford to serve in a public office.[138]
In June 2021, Zinke announced his candidacy to return to the U.S. House of Representatives, this time inMontana's 1st congressional district, which was reconstituted after the2020 census.[139][140][141][b] He defeated Democratic nominee Monica Tranel in the general election.[142]
In 2024, Zinke defeated Democratic nomineeMonica Tranel in the general election with 52% of the vote to Tranel's 45%.[143]
In 2023, Zinke voted against House Concurrent Resolution 21, which directed PresidentJoe Biden to remove U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[144][145]
Zinke was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of theFiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[146]
During the2023 Israel-Hamas War, Zinke introducedlegislation that would prohibit individuals who held passports from thePalestinian Authority from entering or seeking refuge in the US.[147] On his congressional website, Zinke touted the proposed bill as legislation aiming to "Expel Palestinians from the United States".[148]
Zinke married Lolita Hand on August 8, 1992. Both had been married before; Hand was a widow with a young daughter.[149] He and Hand also have two children together.[150] He isCatholic.[151]
Zinke splits his time amongWashington, D.C.;Whitefish, Montana, his hometown; andSanta Barbara, California, his wife's hometown.[150] In 2021,Politico reported that he no longer resided at his Whitefish house and spent more time in Santa Barbara.[152] Zinke was formerlyMissouri Synod Lutheran.[153][154]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke | 1,452 | 69.37 | |
| Republican | Suzanne Brooks | 641 | 30.63 | |
| Total votes | 2,093 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke | 5,498 | 54.60 | |
| Democratic | Brittany MacLean | 4,571 | 45.40 | |
| Total votes | 10,069 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke | 43,766 | 33.25 | |
| Republican | Corey Stapleton | 38,591 | 29.32 | |
| Republican | Matt Rosendale | 37,965 | 28.84 | |
| Republican | Elsie Arntzen | 9,011 | 6.85 | |
| Republican | Drew Turiano | 2,290 | 1.74 | |
| Total votes | 131,623 | 100 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke | 203,871 | 55.41 | |
| Democratic | John Lewis | 148,690 | 40.41 | |
| Libertarian | Mike Fellows | 15,402 | 4.19 | |
| Total votes | 367,963 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke (incumbent) | 144,660 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 144,660 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke (inc.) | 285,358 | 56.19 | |
| Democratic | Denise Juneau | 205,919 | 40.55 | |
| Libertarian | Rick Breckenridge | 16,554 | 3.26 | |
| Total votes | 507,831 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke | 35,601 | 41.7 | |
| Republican | Albert Olszewski | 33,927 | 39.7 | |
| Republican | Mary Todd | 8,915 | 10.4 | |
| Republican | Matthew Jette | 4,973 | 5.8 | |
| Republican | Mitch Heuer | 1,953 | 2.3 | |
| Total votes | 85,369 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke | 123,102 | 49.65 | |
| Democratic | Monica Tranel | 115,265 | 46.49 | |
| Libertarian | John Lamb | 9,593 | 3.87 | |
| Total votes | 247,960 | 100% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke (incumbent) | 66,409 | 73.74 | |
| Republican | Mary Todd | 23,647 | 26.26 | |
| Total votes | 90,056 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Zinke (incumbent) | 168,529 | 52.3 | |
| Democratic | Monica Tranel | 143,783 | 44.62 | |
| Libertarian | Dennis Hayes | 9,954 | 3.09 | |
| Total votes | 322,226 | 100.0 | ||
In 2010, as a member of the Montana Legislature, he ... asked President Barack Obama and then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to push through sweeping climate and clean-energy legislation.
It was Don who recommended that former Navy SEAL Ryan Zinke—a fellow hunting enthusiast who once reportedly referred to Hillary Clinton as "the Antichrist"—should be tapped as Trump's secretary of the interior.
| Montana Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theMontana Senate from the 2nd district 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMontana's at-large congressional district 2015–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Constituency reestablished | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMontana's 1st congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | United States Secretary of the Interior 2017–2019 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 244th | Succeeded by |
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| Oneat-large seat (1889–1913) |
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| Two at-large seats (1913–1919) |
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| Districts (1919–1993) |
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| One at-large seat (1993–2023) |
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| Districts (2023–present) |
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