Ryan Zinke Rode A Horse To His First Day Of Work

Former Vice President Joe Biden has officially been one-upped as the government employee with the most interesting style of commuting. While Amtrak Joe's love of trains is certainly memorable — and, quite frankly, adorable — a member of President Donald Trump's cabinet on Thursday debuted an even more unconventional way to commute in Washington, D.C. One day after his confirmation, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke rode a horse to work.

It was quite an arrival and definitely garnered some fun political attention that doesn't have anything to do with Trump's cabinet and Russia. As if Zinke riding in on horseback himself wasn't spectacular enough, he was also escorted for several blocks by nine officers from the U.S. Park Police, also on horseback, according to the New York Times. A former Republican congressman from Montana, Zinke really went for the western look by adding a cowboy hat to the ensemble.

As he approached the administration building, officers from several agencies waited to greet him and a Bureau of Indian Affairs employee from the Montana Northern Cheyenne tribe played a veterans honor song on a hand drum as the procession made its way to the building. The Washington Post reported that the horse's name is Tonto, and he is an Irish sport horse who is owned by the police department.

Zinke was confirmed as interior secretary on Wednesday by a vote of 68-31. The office of the Interior is focused on managing federal lands and natural resources and oversees 500 million acres of land. The Washington Post reported that on his first day, Zinke signed two orders: one which overturned an Obama-era order to phase out the use of lead ammunition and fish tackles by 2022, and the other expanding access to public lands for for outdoor recreation and fishing. The department includes 70,000 employees in 2,400 different locations across the country.

Zinke also sent a message to department employees reaffirming his commitment to protecting America's natural heritage. Zinke spent nearly two dozen years serving as a Navy SEAL before becoming a politician.

I can't help but wonder: Will Zinke ride a horse to work every day? Will he find other wacky ways to commute to the capitol? Does the horse wait for him to leave work and carry him home? There's a lot of unanswered questions here, but what I do know is that Trump's other cabinet appointees will certainly have to step it up if they wish to make as big a splash as the interior secretary on their first days.