Tyler Hassen, a little-known figure with an oil and gas background helping spearhead the White House’s larger cost-cutting efforts at the Interior Department, was quietly promoted Friday to acting assistant secretary of policy, management and budget.
The promotion of Hassen gives an official linked to the Elon Musk-driven Department of Government Efficiency a significant perch at the department as the Trump administration moves to further downsize.
Interior declined to comment on the Hassen promotion, which was made public in a secretarial order signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Friday. The order delegates the authorities of the assistant secretary for policy, management and budget to Hassen until May 31, unless extended. The Trump administration has not yet announced its nominee for the position, which must be confirmed by the Senate.
An official from Trump’s first administration who worked on Interior issues said Hassen’s new role shows that the White House wants to start using existing federal roles to implement their agenda rather than overrely on DOGE.
