Stopping Trump’s Anti-Science USDA Nominee

Friends of the Earth led a campaign to oppose the nomination of Sam Clovis as Chief Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, citing his lack of scientific background and climate denial. The effort, which included gathering over 70,000 signatures and coordinating with progressive organizations, contributed to pressure on the Senate. Clovis eventually withdrew his nomination following reports of his involvement in the Russia investigation.

• Donald Trump nominated Sam Clovis, a former campaign co-chairman and radio talk show host from northwest Iowa, for the role of Chief Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Clovis was described as a "blatant climate denier" with "no background in science or agriculture," making him unfit for a role responsible for deciding how the department spends research funds.
• Friends of the Earth organized a campaign against the nomination by urging members to contact Senators, sign petitions, and write letters to Congress. This effort resulted in more than 70,000 signatures and involved collaboration with other progressive organizations to pressure the Senate.
• The nomination process was hindered by Senate committee delays and public denouncement by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer. Sam Clovis ultimately withdrew his nomination after it was revealed he had been interviewed by Robert Mueller’s investigative team regarding ties to Russia and sending an aide to London to speak with a Russian spy.

APA

Fox, A. (2017). Stopping Trump’s Anti-Science USDA Nominee. Friends of the Earth. https://foe.org/victory-stories/impact-story-1/

Chicago

Fox, Audrey. Stopping Trump’s Anti-Science USDA Nominee. Friends of the Earth, 2017. https://foe.org/victory-stories/impact-story-1/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fox |first1=Audrey |title=Stopping Trump’s Anti-Science USDA Nominee |publisher=Friends of the Earth |date=27 November 2017 |url=https://foe.org/victory-stories/impact-story-1/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fox2017stopping, author = {Fox, Audrey}, title = {{Stopping Trump’s Anti-Science USDA Nominee}}, institution = {Friends of the Earth}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://foe.org/victory-stories/impact-story-1/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }