Trump's nominee for the USDA's top scientist admits he has no science experience

Sam Clovis.
(Image credit: CC BY: Alex Hanson)

Update 11:04 a.m. ET: Sam Clovis has withdrawn his nomination for chief scientist of the Department of Agriculture, The Associated Press reports. Our original post appears below.

President Trump's nominee for chief scientist of the Department of Agriculture, Sam Clovis, might know all about science fiction, but his open acknowledgement of a lack of hard science credentials has left many wondering how he is possibly in consideration for a job with the word "scientist" literally in the title, The Washington Post reports.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.