Saturday, 23 November 2024

DEVELOPING: President Trump Expected To Nominate Former GOP Senator For Agriculture Secretary


President Trump reportedly will nominate Kelly Loeffler, former U.S. Senator from Georgia, for the role of secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

“Trump is expected to offer Kelly Loeffler the job as the Secretary of Agriculture, I’m told. She’s expected at Mar-a-Lago Club this afternoon,” CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins said.

“This job will be one to watch for many reasons, including RFK Jr.’s promise to assert his influence over the agriculture industry and Trump’s pledge to carry out mass deportations,” she added.

Trump is scheduled to meet with Loeffler Friday afternoon, but the nomination is not final.

Per CNN:

Loeffler, who briefly represented Georgia in the Senate, had fundraised for Trump during the 2024 race and raised several million dollars for his campaign over the summer when she hosted a debate watch party with Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley. Several of Trump’s other Cabinet picks — including Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Elise Stefanik — were at that party.

Loeffler is also co-chairing Trump’s inauguration, as CNN previously reported.

The agriculture job will likely be a significant one — especially as Trump’s pick to run the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has promised to assert his influence over the agriculture industry.

Loeffler, appointed to the Senate by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp over the wishes of Trump, lost her seat in a 2021 runoff to Democratic now-Sen. Raphael Warnock.

A source close to the transition told The Hill Trump is expected name the former senator for the job.

From The Hill:

The former senator backed Trump during his Georgia criminal case, arguing the racketeering criminal indictment against him and his allies is politically motivated. She testified as a witness before a Fulton grand jury in 2022 and was among the dozens of people the special grand jury recommended be indicted, but Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) eventually decided against charging her.

Loeffler penned an op-ed in February in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, calling on the judge overseeing the case to remove Willis. She argued Willis’s relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade made it impossible for her to have prosecuted the case against Trump fairly.

Before serving in the Senate, Loeffler was CEO at digital asset company Bakkt. She was the co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and sold the team in 2021.

The agriculture industry is closely watching Trump’s transition, as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has vowed to crack down on unhealthy foods if he’s confirmed to run the Department of Health and Human Resources. Trump made gains among rural voters in pivotal battleground states like Georgia and North Carolina, which helped fuel his victory in the 2024 race.


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