Donald Trump selects Rick Perry to head Energy Department

Rick Perry.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Donald Trump has selected former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to head the Energy Department, The Associated Press reports. Perry had been rumored to be the leading candidate for the job.

Perry ran for president in 2012, during which he proposed scrapping the Department of Energy (although he famously forgot its name when he was listing the three agencies he wanted to eliminate during a 2011 GOP debate).

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.