Climate denier Rick Perry is nominated as Energy Secretary

Perry notoriously forgot the name of a federal department he’d like to eliminate during a 2012 presidential debate, later clarifying that the agency is, in fact, the U.S. Department of Energy—the same that he’s now been selected to lead. A climate denier, the former Texas governor has accepted more than $11 million in campaign contributions from the fossil-fuel industry over the course of his political career. During the 2016 presidential race, the chief executive of Energy Transfer Partners donated $5 million to a pro-Perry super PAC. After his White House run ended, Perry joined that company’s board.