An article by Ben Lilliston for the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) claims the US Dept of Agriculture is “an afterthought to the Trump administration, despite the crucial role the Department plays in many areas of the country that helped elect the president.” Politico reported that the first series of USDA appointees included a long-haul truck driver, a gas company meter reader, and a country club cabana attendant—none with a background in agriculture. The Agriculture Secretary was the last position filled in the President’s cabinet, and within weeks, Sonny Perdue began a series of surprising moves to restructure the Department.
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