Labor Chaos: Trump Ally Takes Over

United States Department of Labor building sign outdoors

A seasoned Trump ally is now running the Labor Department after a scandal-plagued secretary walked away, and the fight over his permanent power is already underway.

Story Snapshot

President Trump elevated Keith Sonderling to Acting Secretary of Labor after Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned amid misconduct inquiries.
Sonderling is a Senate-confirmed Deputy Secretary with a long record in labor policy and enforcement.
Democrats and left-leaning media brand him a “controversial” pick and worry about his conservative regulatory approach.
The White House and business groups see him as the stabilizing choice to clean up the department and push pro-growth reforms.

Chavez-DeRemer’s Resignation Leaves a Mess for Trump to Clean Up

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned on April 20 after months of inquiries into her travel, spending, and workplace conduct, creating real turmoil inside the Department of Labor. Her troubled tenure opened the door for hostile outlets to paint Trump’s labor policy as chaotic, even though the problems centered on her personal behavior, not the administration’s agenda. Reports describe inspector general investigations into her use of government resources, which gave Democrats and the media easy talking points about “embarrassing allegations” and instability at a key economic agency.^[10]

President Trump responded by naming Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling as Acting Secretary of Labor the same day Chavez-DeRemer stepped down, ensuring there was no leadership vacuum. Acting secretaries have become common in Washington, but here the move kept power in the hands of someone Republicans already trusted. This quick transition matters for workers, businesses, and retirees who depend on clear rules, and it also shows Trump’s second-term team is not leaving vital agencies to drift under scandal or weak leadership.^[4]^[10]

Who Keith Sonderling Is and Why Conservatives Back Him

Keith Sonderling is not a random political figure; he has almost a decade of experience inside the Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In Trump’s first term, he served as Acting and Deputy Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, where his division reported record-breaking enforcement collections, meaning he actually enforced the law while pushing for fair, pro-growth rules. Later, he became a commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, working on how artificial intelligence and new technology affect civil rights and workplace fairness.^[3]^[6]^[7]

Trump nominated Sonderling as Deputy Secretary of Labor in late 2024, and the Senate confirmed him in March 2025 by a 53–46 vote, almost entirely along party lines. That vote made him the legally recognized number two at the department, second only to the secretary. Business groups and Republican lawmakers praised his background, noting his work on artificial intelligence, employment law, and enforcement as proof he understands how rules hit real employers and workers. For conservatives tired of “woke” rulemaking, his track record signals a focus on law, growth, and common sense instead of social experiments.^[1]^[3]^[5]

Acting Secretary Now, Permanent Power Later?

After Chavez-DeRemer’s resignation, Trump designated Sonderling to serve as Acting Secretary of Labor, and he can legally stay in that role for an extended time. Because he is already Senate-confirmed as Deputy Secretary, he does not need another vote to keep handling the job day-to-day. Commentators note that former President Joe Biden did something similar when he kept Julie Su as Acting Secretary without enough votes for full confirmation, and that precedent now works in Trump’s favor. In practice, Sonderling is running the department and setting policy while the White House weighs a permanent nomination.^[6]^[7]^[9]^[10]

US President Donald Trump has nominated Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling to permanently lead the Labor Department

📌 The nomination requires U.S. Senate confirmation
📌 Trump praised Sonderling's leadership and record in public service

Watch: https://t.co/pnRTzDS05C…

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) June 30, 2026

Some reports and trackers list Sonderling as Secretary of Labor as of April 20, 2026, while official Senate records still only show his confirmation as Deputy Secretary, not as Secretary. That mismatch lets critics claim there is “ambiguity” about his permanent authority, even though the law clearly allows a confirmed deputy to serve as acting head. The White House has signaled Trump will decide on the formal Cabinet post “in due time,” and business groups are already lobbying for Sonderling to be the permanent pick.^[3]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[11]

Media Attacks, Regulatory Fears, and What Is Really at Stake

Left-leaning outlets quickly labeled Sonderling a “dangerous” and “controversial” choice, tying him to big business and warning that he will shift the balance toward employers at the expense of workers. These claims focus on his conservative regulatory philosophy, not on documented failures or misconduct in his record. They fit a familiar media pattern: any Trump appointee who opposes progressive labor experiments becomes “controversial,” no matter how qualified. Critics point to his past fights with Democratic Equal Employment Opportunity Commission policies on issues like abortion-related protections and harassment rules as proof they cannot bend him to their agenda.^[2]^[4]^[7]

For conservatives, that resistance is exactly the point. Sonderling has signaled support for independent contractors, gig workers, and self-audit compliance programs that help businesses follow the law without crushing them in red tape. His enforcement record at the Wage and Hour Division shows he can punish real fraud and abuse while still respecting free enterprise. As labor rules touch everything from energy jobs to small family businesses, a Labor Secretary who understands both law and markets is vital. With inflation, high energy costs, and overregulation still fresh in voters’ minds, Trump’s base wants someone who will protect jobs and economic freedom, not grow the bureaucracy.^[3]^[7]

What Conservatives Should Watch Next

The coming battle is not just about one man; it is about who controls labor policy in a critical second Trump term. If Sonderling is formally nominated as Secretary of Labor, expect Democrats to use Chavez-DeRemer’s scandal and vague fears about “fraud” and funding cuts to attack him and the administration. They will likely argue that a strong conservative at Labor threatens union power and progressive priorities on issues like climate mandates, workplace speech rules, and expanded federal oversight. Those attacks will try to turn a clean-up job into another narrative of chaos.^[7]^[10]

Conservative readers should pay attention to two things: whether the Senate holds a clear vote on a Secretary of Labor nomination, and how Sonderling uses his acting authority in the meantime. So far, no primary-source audits or performance reviews have surfaced that undermine his competence, and the evidence mostly shows a careful lawyer with deep experience and strong support from the business community. In a town where too many political appointees chase headlines or ideology, having a Labor chief focused on enforcing the law, defending free markets, and ending scandal-driven drift is a quiet but important win for constitutional government and working families.^[1]^[3]^[5]^[7]