Trump withdraws Park Service nominee after personal withdrawal

President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Scott Socha to lead the National Park Service (NPS) after the hospitality executive opted out of consideration. The White House announced the withdrawal on April 27, following Socha's decision to withdraw his name from consideration in March 2026. Socha, who serves as president for parks and resorts at Delaware North, cited personal reasons for his withdrawal. The NPS, part of the Interior Department, manages national parks, monuments, and historical sites. The agency has faced uncertainty under the Trump administration, which has sought to shrink its operations and reduce funding. The Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget request includes a $1 billion reduction in NPS funding, though Congress has not yet acted on the proposal. The NPS is currently led by acting director Jessica Bowron, following a series of acting directors during Trump's first term. Thousands of NPS employees have left or been laid off since the start of Trump's second term. Conservation groups had criticized Socha's nomination, arguing he lacked qualifications to oversee the agency's hundreds of sites. The Center for Western Priorities, a liberal-leaning conservation group, had called Socha unqualified, citing his career in privatization. The Interior Department has also faced scrutiny for its efforts to reshape public spaces, including an executive order targeting what the administration called 'anti-American ideology' in national parks. The order directed a review of interpretive signage, leading to the removal of some displays related to slavery and Native American mistreatment.