Trump's Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer departs administration amid turmoil

US Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer will leave her position in President Donald Trump's administration, as announced by the White House. Chavez-DeRemer is the third woman to exit the administration since March, following the firings of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi. White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung stated that Chavez-DeRemer has done a "phenomenal job" protecting American workers and is set to "take a position in the private sector."

Keith Sonderling, the current deputy labor secretary, will assume the role of Acting Secretary of Labor. While Cheung did not provide a specific reason for Chavez-DeRemer’s departure, the New York Post reported in January that she was under investigation for pursuing an "inappropriate" relationship with a subordinate and for drinking in her office during work hours. Al Jazeera could not independently verify these allegations.

Chavez-DeRemer had notable differences with other members of Trump’s inner circle, having expressed support for the pro-union Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), which garnered her some backing from Democrats. Her appointment was also favored by Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who supported Trump’s re-election campaign at the Republican National Convention in July 2024. However, her policies as labor secretary aligned more closely with the Trump administration’s anti-regulatory stance, as evidenced by the Labor Department's inaction on silica exposure limits for coal miners suffering from black lung disease.

Chavez-DeRemer is not the first senior official to leave the Labor Department during Trump’s second term; in August 2025, Trump fired Bureau of Labor Statistics director Erika McEntarfer after a report indicated a slowdown in hiring. Chavez-DeRemer supported this decision, stating, "I support the President’s decision to replace Biden’s Commissioner and ensure the American People can trust the important and influential data coming from BLS."

Power Read: The departure of Chavez-DeRemer signals a potential shift in the Trump administration's labor policies, as her pro-union stance contrasted with the broader anti-regulatory approach of the administration. This change may empower more hardline elements within the administration while exposing vulnerabilities in Trump's ability to retain diverse viewpoints among his cabinet. The ongoing departures of high-profile female officials could also reflect internal discord and a lack of cohesion in Trump's leadership team.

What to watch: The appointment of Keith Sonderling as Acting Secretary of Labor and any subsequent policy shifts he may implement.