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A November 7, 2024 report named Texas agriculture commissioner Sid Miller, Indiana farmer and former ambassador Kip Tom, and former USDA undersecretary Ted McKinney as possible choices to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture when Donald Trump returned to office. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum was also mentioned. These were speculative possibilities, not confirmed nominees; Trump later chose Brooke Rollins on November 24, 2024.
Who did the November 2024 report mention?
Successful Farming’s Ag Insider report, published November 7, 2024, discussed several people viewed as possible USDA leaders. It cautioned that predicting Trump’s choice was difficult. The names reflected different kinds of agricultural and executive experience, rather than a confirmed or ranked list of nominees.
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| Person | Role described in the November 7 report | Experience highlighted |
|---|---|---|
| Sid Miller | Texas agriculture commissioner | State-level agriculture administration; he had also been mentioned for the post after Trump won the 2016 election. |
| Kip Tom | Indiana farmer and former U.S. ambassador to the UN agencies for food and agriculture in Rome during Trump’s first term; co-chair of Farmers and Ranchers for Trump in 2024 | Farming, diplomatic work on food and agriculture, and campaign support. |
| Ted McKinney | Former agriculture undersecretary for trade in Trump’s first administration; then chief executive of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture | Federal agriculture trade service and leadership of a state-agency association. |
| Doug Burgum | North Dakota governor | State executive experience. |
These titles describe the people as the November 2024 article presented them; they should not be read as a statement of their current roles.
Why were these backgrounds relevant?
The report’s discussion reflected several possible routes to the cabinet post: state agriculture leadership, agricultural diplomacy, federal trade experience, and gubernatorial executive experience. It also observed that every agriculture secretary since Mike Johanns in 2005 had been a former governor. That was the report’s historical observation, not evidence that a governor would necessarily be selected.
The names were part of pre-appointment speculation. The report did not establish that any of the four had received a formal nomination, and it did not rank them as finalists.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who did Trump ultimately choose?
The November 7 roundup preceded the appointment decision. FERN’s agriculture-secretary topic page records that Trump chose Brooke Rollins on November 24, 2024. The earlier mentions of Miller, Tom, McKinney, and Burgum therefore describe the speculation at that point in the transition—not the eventual selection or a current contest for the position.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Successful Farming / FERN’s Ag Insider, “Miller, Tom, and McKinney Mentioned for Trump USDA Posts,” November 7, 2024.
- Food & Environment Reporting Network, “Secretary of Agriculture” topic page.
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