President Trump has nominated an Iowan who was a top policy advisor on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign to serve as the U-S-D-A Undersecretary for research, education and economics. Sam Clovis, formerly of Hinton, Iowa, has been working in the U-S-D-A since Trump took office, serving as a liason to the White House.
His nomination to be the top science advisor in the U-S-D-A has sparked controversy, as Clovis has said he’s skeptical of climate science.
Clovis says he’s wary of efforts to restrict human activity deemed damaging to the environment.
Clovis finished second in the June 2014 Republican Primary for U.S. Senate and then he ran as the Republican Party’s nominee for state treasurer in the 2014 General Election. Clovis worked on Rick Perry’s presidential campaign, but after Perry dropped out of the race Clovis joined the Trump team in August of 2015. Clovis helped edit Trump’s most recent book as well. Clovis is a U-S Air Force veteran who was a Morningside College economics professor and talk show host in Sioux City before he entered politics.
