Former Trump Cabinet Member Joins Line of Congressional Republicans Heading for the Exits

Source: MEDIAite

Mar 2nd, 2026, 4:12 pm


Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), who served as Secretary of the Interior during President Donald Trump's first term, announced he was not running for re-election on Monday, citing health concerns and his personal belief in term limits.

A former Navy SEAL, Zinke served in the Montana Senate for four years, unsuccessfully ran in the GOP primary for Montana lieutenant governor, and then ran for Congress in 2014. Trump nominated him to head the Interior Department and he was sworn into office March 1, 2017.

Zinke would end up resigning his Cabinet post in December 2018 amid multiple federal ethics probes. He maintained he had committed no wrongdoing and claimed the investigations were "intended to harass" him. He would end up returning to Congress after winning re-election in the 2022 elections, and has remained a staunch Trump ally.

Zinke announced his decision not to seek re-election in a social media post Monday, noting that he had "quietly undergone multiple surgeries" recently connected to his military service and was expected to need additional procedures and recovery time, explaining that he did not want to "run the risk of uncertain absence and missed votes."

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/former-trump-cabinet-member-joins-line-of-congressional-republicans-heading-for-the-exits/