Article snippet: A former co-chairman of Donald Trump’s campaign was nominated last month as the chief scientist at the United States Department of Agriculture, a decision that has been met with pushback ahead of his forthcoming confirmation vote. President Trump chose Sam Clovis, who is currently serving as a senior White House adviser to the USDA, as his nominee for undersecretary of agriculture for research, education and economics. As the department’s chief scientist, Clovis would be responsible for overseeing the Agricultural Research Service, the Economic Research Service, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, Clovis’ experience and past controversial statements have led some to criticize Trump’s decision to nominate him for the position. According to biographical information provided by the White House in a press release announcing his nomination, Clovis received an undergraduate degree in political science and spent 25 years in the U.S. Air Force, including as a pilot. He later obtained an MBA and a Ph.D. in public administration and served as an economics professor at Morningside College in Iowa. In 2010, he began hosting a talk radio show in Iowa and eventually left his position at Morningside to run for office himself. In 2014, a year in which he lost both a bid for the Republican nomination for U.S. senator in Iowa and the election for Iowa state treasurer, Clovis gave an inter... Link to the full article to read more