Schatz & Schumer Call on President Trump to Withdraw Nomination of Sam Clovis

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Brian Schatz, in the wake of recent violence in Charlottesville, released the below statement calling on President Trump to withdraw his nomination of Sam Clovis to be USDA Undersecretary for research, education and economics:

“In this time of great division, our nation cries out for healing, unity and clarity on the path forward from our elected leaders. Unfortunately, for Donald Trump to nominate and to advocate for Senate confirmation of someone with views as backwards as Mr. Clovis’s, is not only a signal to the darkest and most evil forces in this country to carry on, but a clear as day message to the world that this administration continues to tolerate hate.

“The extremist views Mr. Clovis has expressed and the racist conspiracy theories he has stoked about President Obama, former Attorney General Eric Holder, members of the LGBT community and others have zero place in the public discourse, much less coming from the highest levels of our government.

“First and foremost, President Trump should withdraw the Clovis nomination immediately – not only because he is a proud ‘skeptic’ of climate change and wildly unqualified for the position of USDA Chief Scientist – but also as a gesture to the American people that this administration is serious about rooting out the most hateful voices in our society. If President Trump refuses to withdraw Mr. Clovis, we will vehemently oppose his nomination and urge our colleagues from both parties to come together and summarily reject him as well.”

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