Agriculture advisers for President-Elect Donald Trump don’t want North Dakota Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp as Agriculture Secretary. While Heitkamp has sided with agriculture and Republicans at times, Trump’s agriculture allies consider Heitkamp a snub against Trump’s network of rural supporters.
Politico over the weekend reported Heitkamp topped the list to head USDA, but Trump’s inner agriculture circle told Politico they were “blindsided” by the news. Trump has yet to offer Heitkamp the post, and it is also uncertain she would accept the job, as she would leave a vacant seat in the Senate which would likely be filled by a Republican in a special election.
Political insiders said Tuesday that it does not appear Trump is “close” to naming a new Agriculture Secretary just yet, despite recent speculation.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters News Service)