Rick Perry goes from "Dancing with the Stars" to overseeing America's nuclear weapons

During a 2011 Republican primary, former Texas Governor Rick Perry proclaimed that if he were president, he would eliminate three government agencies: the Department of Education, the Department of Commerce and … he couldn't remember the name of the other agency he wanted to eliminate. That forgettable agency was the Department of Energy, which Donald Trump has announced he’ll nominate Rick Perry to lead. As Secretary of Energy, Rick Perry will be expected to oversee extremely serious national security matters:

As long as nuclear weapons exist, the United States will maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent to keep America safe. In support of this presidential mandate, the Energy Department -- specifically the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) -- is responsible for ensuring the integrity and safety of the nation’s nuclear weapons, advancing nuclear nonproliferation and promoting international nuclear safety. We also work with industry partners to model risks to privately owned U.S. nuclear facilities from cyber attacks and support climate change adaptation efforts to prevent overheating of nuclear reactors, an increasing threat as global temperatures rise and droughts become more common.

The current head of the Department of Energy is Dr. Ernest Moniz, a former Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In fact, four out of the last five heads of the Department of Energy were world-renowned and/or Nobel Prize-winning scientists with a deep understanding of physics and nuclear weapons.

Rick Perry’s last job was as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. As the New York Times notes, Perry is a curious pick for such a serious role.