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Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2026. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
President Donald Trump announced Monday he intends to nominate Keith E. Sonderling, who is currently the acting U.S. secretary of labor, to serve in the position permanently.
In his announcement, which he posted on social media, the president underscored Sonderling’s track record of delivering results for American workers.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that I am nominating Keith E. Sonderling, the outstanding Acting United States Secretary of Labor, to be permanent,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“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 nomination follows former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer stepping aside in April. Her tenure was largely defined by a focus on cutting regulatory burdens, exposing fraud, increasing apprenticeships, and addressing cost-of-living pressures, which Sonderling commended when he took over the acting role after serving as deputy secretary and chief operating officer.
During Trump’s first term, Sonderling served as acting and deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division, where he focused on labor standards and worker protections. He has also targeted fraud in federal programs and pro-worker policies in line with the administration’s agenda.
Sonderling has also focused on unemployment insurance fraud and guidance on employee benefit programs. The department under his leadership called for immediate action from governors on issues with fraud, which Vice President JD Vance has supported.
“We are officially putting governors on notice,” acting Secretary Sonderling said in June upon making demands of state leaders and policy makers. “The American people will no longer tolerate the blatant waste, fraud, and abuse of their hard-earned tax dollars—no state should allow it either. If states allow it, they will suffer the consequences. This department is no longer afraid to use every lever available to ensure taxpayer money is protected.”
During his tenure, Sonderling has also targeted fraudulent COVID-era relief payments. The unlawful payouts could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, according to House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) during the 118th Congress.
If the Senate confirms Sonderling, it will come at a time when the Labor Department is combating a number of issues including workforce development and more.
Sonderling was nominated by Trump in 2019 to serve as the commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and was confirmed by the Senate in September 2020. He served in the position until August 2024. He also served as EEOC vice-chair from 2020 to 2021.
Before entering government, Sonderling worked as a partner at Gunster, one of Florida’s oldest law firms.
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.
