Trump's USDA takes shape
With help from Marcia Brown
QUICK FIX
— President Donald Trump's plans for agriculture are coming together at USDA.
— Trump has started undoing equity work and fired the independent watchdog responsible for monitoring USDA.
— The president is starting to roll out his use of tariffs as a negotiating tool — and it'll likely have significant impacts on U.S. agriculture and prices of imports.
IT'S MONDAY, JAN. 27. Welcome to Morning Agriculture. I'm your host Grace Yarrow, wishing I could be watching the Smithsonian's Panda Cam. Send tips and panda pics to gyarrow@politico.com and follow us at @Morning_Ag.
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Driving the day
ICYMI: Senators met last week to hear from Trump's nominee for Agriculture secretary, Brooke Rollins, on key ag issues like trade, immigration and nutrition.
The committee will vote at a future meeting — timing still TBD — on advancing Rollins' nomination to a full Senate vote. She's expected to sail through the process with Democratic support.
What you need to know: Senators' top questions for Rollins included how she would support U.S. agriculture as Trump rolls out his tariff and mass deportation plans.
Rollins said, if confirmed, that she will continue to back Trump's agenda, as a close ally of the president, but work with other agencies and staff to address those concerns.
Some Democrats, who have said they're 'open-minded' about Rollins' nomination, are still hoping for more clear answers on her approach to DEI, bird flu, nutrition and immigration at USDA.
Republicans continue to point to Rollins' relationship with Trump as a crucial strength that will help her defend the needs of the agriculture industry in the administration and during Cabinet talks.
In the meantime, Trump's agriculture priorities and federal agency plans are starting to come to fruition with overhauls of the workforce and efforts at USDA.
TARIFF BATTLES BEGIN: Trump said Sunday that he'd be slapping an emergency 25 percent tariff on all goods imported from Colombia on Sunday after the country's president turned away two U.S. military aircraft full of detained Colombian migrants.
U.S. and Colombian officials reached an agreement last night to allow the U.S. to hold off on tariffs for now, as Colombia is allowing 'unrestricted acceptance' or deportation flights of migrants, per the White House. Colombian President Gustavo Petro pledged to retaliate with tariffs of his own, but also appeared to back down Sunday night.
Sunday's action was the first test of Trump's ability to use the tariff threats as a negotiating tool — and it paid off. But the clash with Colombia over the weekend is only the start of a slew of sweeping tariff threats Trump will be rolling out against top trading partners like China, Mexico and Canada in coming days.
Ag industry concerns: Ag representatives and lobbyists have been sounding the alarm for months about how Trump's sweeping tariff plans could have negative impacts on U.S. ag exports.
Multiple Trump allies on Capitol Hill have brought up the importance of trade to farmers and the ag industry in their discussions with Rollins, who herself acknowledged that tariffs were one of the 'top issues' the senators have raised.
AROUND THE AGENCIES
PUSHBACK ON DEI MOVES: Addressing historic equity concerns at USDA was a priority under the Biden administration. But one of Trump's executive orders aims to eliminate government programs and initiatives under the diversity, equity and inclusion label.
In an email sent to all USDA staff last week, the administration urged employees to share any programs that might be obfuscated by 'imprecise language' or potentially face 'adverse consequences.'
Webpages associated with USDA's equity work — including its Equity Commission's report recommending DEI steps for the department to take — appear to be unavailable.
Dems' resistance: Democrats are criticizing the Trump administration's DEI rollback, saying they will impede the department's ability to help farmers.
Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) told MA that she's 'frustrated' by Trump's moves at USDA.
'First off, people have to know, our agriculture agencies are already underfunded and understaffed,' Salinas said. 'So to cut additional people right now is not helpful at a time when we are trying to roll out these programs that our farmers depend on. It's only going to make matters worse.'
She added: 'It's going to make farm bill negotiations really difficult, because it feels like we're going to have to backfill some of these positions that he's cutting out.'
Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) added in a brief interview in MA that 'agriculture touches every corner of this country, whether you're in an urban area or a rural area, whatever your economic status, or gender and racial identities.'
'I just think we want to make sure our federal government reflects that diversity.'
INSPECTOR GENERAL PURGE: Trump also fired multiple independent federal watchdogs, known as inspectors general, in a Friday night purge, removing a significant layer of accountability for those agencies including USDA. (That move will likely face significant legal backlash.)
USDA's inspector general has taken the lead on reporting mishandled funds distributed by USDA, including wrongfully obtained or fraudulent crop insurance payments or other federal grant money.
They also have conducted investigations on USDA's handling of food safety and inspection duties — a key role given major recent outbreaks like listeria in deli meat.
Capitol Hill fallout: 'There may be good reason the IGs were fired. We need to know that if so. I'd like further explanation from President Trump,' Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement to POLITICO. 'Regardless, the 30 day detailed notice of removal that the law demands was not provided to Congress.'
House Ag Committee ranking member Angie Craig (D-Minn.) said in a statement that the purge was 'alarming and unprecedented.'
She said the move at USDA 'hampers our ability to combat waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure programs are run as Congress intended, whether its disaster assistance for farmers or nutrition programs.'
MORE STAFF DEVELOPMENTS: Before the president headed to California Friday, Trump announced two new wildfire prevention appointments to USDA to lead the administration's 'focus on forest management.'
Kristin Sleeper will be deputy undersecretary for natural resources and environment. She previously worked as professional staff for the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the House Ag Committee. She also directed policy for the National Alliance of Forest Owners, which represents companies that own private forests.
Tom Schultz will be chief of staff at USDA for natural resources and environment. He previously was vice president of resources and government affairs, leading timber procurement, for the Idaho Forest Group. Schultz testified before a House Ag Committee panel in 2022, urging for updates to the Good Neighbor Authority and reforms to stewardship contracting tools in the upcoming farm bill.
The Trump administration has already nominated several undersecretaries for USDA, who will handle key programs for farmers and help Rollins (if confirmed) run the department.
Other personnel news: Trump's executive orders targeting the federal workforce have injected a fresh wave of anxiety among employees across the bureaucracy — stoking fears the president is coming for their jobs, our colleagues report.
Row Crops
— In his first senatorial letter, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) wants Trump to act on his campaign promise to bring down food prices by addressing bird flu, which has sent egg prices skyrocketing.
— Expect record-high egg prices for most of the year. (CNN)
— The State Department halted spending on most foreign aid grants for 90 days but created an exception for emergency food assistance, our colleagues report.
— Former House Ag member Kristi Noem was confirmed as DHS secretary.
THAT'S ALL FOR MA! Drop us a line and send us your agriculture job announcements or events: gyarrow@politico.com, marciabrown@politico.com, abehsudi@politico.com and ecadei@politico.com.
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Dozens of protesters rallied outside the Justice Department's headquarters in Washington to criticize Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles, where Trump deployed the National Guard. 'Enough of these mass ICE raids who are sweeping up innocent people,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said June 9. 'Enough of the undermining of due process.' The Service Employees International Union organized the protest after the union's California president, David Huerta, was arrested in the Los Angeles protests. Bill Essayli, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, told KNBC, Huerta allegedly obstructed law enforcement vehicles from getting into a facility where they were conducting a search warrant, citing video of the arrest. 'They tried to move him and then he got into a physical altercation with one of our agents and he resisted and he had to be pepper sprayed and subdued,' Essayli said. Participants at the Justice Department protest held signs that said, 'Free David. End ICE Raids' and 'Justice for David Huerta Now.' The rally was one of more than a dozen scheduled in cities across the U.S. to demand Huerta's release and an end to workplace immigration raids, the Los Angeles Times reported. − Bart Jansen Amid the mounting legal clash between the federal government and the state of California, Trump suggested that his border czar Tom Homan should arrest Newsom. 'I would do it … I think it's great,' Trump said when asked if Homan should arrest the governor, who has challenged the administration's mobilization of National Guard troops to crack down on violent protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles. Arresting Newsom, who responded to Homan's threat by daring the feds to arrest him in a June 8 social media post, would represent a major escalation of the state's widening rift with the Trump administration. − Davis Winkie LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell called the outbreak of violence "disgusting" and said it had grown worse Saturday. He said he does not believe the same people who were genuinely protesting immigration policy were involved in the violence. Newsom warned that violent protesters would be arrested and prosecuted. He also kept up his social media attack on Trump, saying California "didn't have a problem until Trump got involved" and that unrest is "exactly" what Trump wanted. "Let's get this straight: 1) Local law enforcement didn't need help. 2) Trump sent troops anyway — to manufacture chaos and violence. 3) Trump succeeded," Newsom wrote. "4) Now things are destabilized and we need to send in more law enforcement just to clean up Trump's mess." Family members of several people detained last week in an ICE sweep pleaded for the release of their loved ones at a press conference Monday. Elaina Jung Hee Vermeulen, with the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, said she attempted on Sunday to meet with some of the detained warehouse workers. "Instead of allowing me to meet with community members, they jumped onto trucks in riot gear," she said. Vermeulen urged local leaders to protect the rights of working class immigrants and said ICE must be banned from entering workplaces. "Every single person who is here, who is figintg for a better life for their family, deserves to have their rights protected," she said. As South Dakota governor in February 2024, Kristi Noem threatened then-President Joe Biden when Democrats said he should federalize the National Guard in Texas to disrupt that state governor's anti-immigration efforts. If he did, Noem warned, Biden would be mounting a 'direct attack on states' rights,' and sparking a 'war' between Washington and Republican-led state governments, she said in a Feb. 6, 2024 interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. On June 8, Noem − now Trump's Homeland Security secretary − cheered Trump for doing the same thing to the Democratic governor of the state of California. On CBS News' Face the Nation Sunday, Noem explained her reversal by saying, "Governor Newsom has proven that he makes bad decisions." Read more here. − Josh Meyer A California sheriff running for governor isn't pleased with former Vice President Kamala Harris' reaction to the explosive protests. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a June 8 post on X that Trump is "not out there lighting cars on fire, hurling projectiles at law enforcement or blocking freeways.' The sheriff, whose county is just north of San Diego and the fourth-most populous county in the state, was responding to Harris' earlier statement where she said the deployment of the National Guard was "meant to provoke chaos.' Harris, who is mulling a bid for California governor next year, put much of the blame on the Trump administration's ICE raids and a "cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division." Bianco, who is also running for governor in 2026, is a long-standing Trump supporter who gained a bit of attention in 2021 for vowing not to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandates in his office. He said Sunday the former VP's comments were 'an embarrassment." 'The Democrats and their 'leaders' own this,' Bianco added. − Phillip M. Bailey Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia, who co-founded the group Latinas for Trump, criticized his administration's recent immigration enforcement actions as 'unacceptable and inhumane' in a post on X. Her remarks come as federal agents have arrested immigrants in courthouses across the U.S., including Florida, stripping them of due process protections, as NBC News reported. 'I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens, but what we are witnessing are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings − in many cases, with credible fear of persecution claims − all driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal,' she wrote in her post, referring to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. She said she stands with Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, who wrote in a statement June 6 that 'anyone with a pending asylum case, status-adjustment petition, or similar claim deserves to go through the legal process.' − Sudiksha Kochi Trump border czar Tom Homan on Monday denied ever calling for the arrest of Newsom. Homan told Fox News that he was asked if Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be arrested and Homan responded that, if they commit a crime, they could be arrested. 'There was no discussion about arresting Newsom,' Homan said. Newsom had addressed the issue on social media, saying that "Trump's border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out. Come and get me, tough guy. I don't give a damn. It won't stop me from standing up for California." At 8 p.m. local time on Sunday, authorities declared the protest to be an unlawful assembly and moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades. That sent hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. According to preliminary information, police said at least 10 people have been arrested and three officers were injured during protests on Sunday. California Highway Patrol arrested 17 people on the 101 Freeway, police said. On Saturday, police arrested 29 people. The protests began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in the area resulted in more than 40 arrests. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, defended the raids and said those arrested by ICE included a Vietnamese man convicted of second-degree murder, an Ecuadoran man convicted of possession of five kilograms of cocaine, and a Filipino man convicted of sexual offenses. "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets," McLaughlin said in a statement. "Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." Protests against immigration enforcement policies were not limited to the Los Angeles area. In San Francisco, a demonstration that drew hundreds ended with violence and about 60 arrests, police said. "Individuals in the group became violent and began to commit crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism and causing property damage," San Francisco police said in a statement. An unlawful assembly was declared and many left the scene while others vandalized buildings and police cars. Two officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. "Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco but violence especially against SFPD officers - will never be tolerated," the statement said. Videos show Waymo cars on fire amid LA protests; service reportedly suspended Photos and videos show several Waymo self-driving cars being torched during the protests. The LAPD said one street had been closed indefinitely after "multiple autonomous vehicles" had been set on fire. Footage shared on social media captured several of Waymo driverless taxis engulfed in flames in the June 8 protests. Others were vandalized with messages against Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, videos show. Waymo suspended service in downtown Los Angeles and "will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe," a company spokesperson told NBC News. − Melina Khan This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Marines heading to LA; Newsom says move is Trump's 'deranged fantasy'
