Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are coming fast and furious, but the ag community is still waiting for the president-elect to pick someone to lead USDA.
Some people are exiting the unofficial race. Mississippi Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, whose name has come up along with more than a dozen others, issued a statement saying “it’s an honor to be mentioned as a potential nominee … but my plans are to remain in the Senate and continue to deliver for the people of Mississippi.”
Jimmy Emmons, a regenerative farmer and rancher from Oklahoma, told Oklahoma Farm Report’s Ron Hays that he had been in talks with the Trump Team about the USDA job. Emmons is the senior vice president for climate smart programs for the Farm Journal Foundation’s Trust in Food Initiative Foundation.
Trump announced Chris Wright, CEO of Liberty Energy, as his pick for energy secretary on Saturday. A climate skeptic, Wright is an innovator in the field of fracking, in which natural gas is extracted from rock formations. He’s also slated to serve on the National Energy Council, which North Dakoka Governor Doug Burgum has been asked to chair.