Keith Sonderling is getting the permanent job. President Trump nominated Sonderling to serve as Secretary of Labor on June 30, 2026, elevating a familiar face who has been running the department in an acting capacity since April 20, 2026.
For crypto markets, this is worth paying attention to. Sonderling has already moved to reshape how the Department of Labor thinks about digital assets in retirement accounts, and a permanent appointment would give him a longer runway to finish what he started.
From EEOC to the top of the Labor Department
Sonderling is not new to the federal bureaucracy. He served as a Commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission from 2020 to 2024, then worked in the Wage and Hour Division during Trump’s first term.
Trump confirmed him as Deputy Secretary of Labor on March 12, 2025. When the prior secretary departed, Sonderling stepped into the acting role and, by most accounts inside the department, handled the transition steadily enough to earn the permanent nomination.
