claim: Did Sam Clovis (a President Trump pick for a U.S. Department of Agriculture science position) called scientists "dumb" and claimed that dinosaurs never existed.
origin: On 20 May 2017, aÂ USPOLN.comÂ itemÂ suggested that Sam Clovis (a former professor of economics, talk radio show host, and Tea Party activist who is now President Trumpâ€™s purported pick for a U.S. Department of Agriculture appointment) said scientists areÂ â€œdumbâ€ and that dinosaurs areÂ a hoax: < The research section of the USDA studies everything from nutrition to climate change, and according to the 2008 Farm Bill the â€œchief scientistâ€ is supposed to be the leader â€œamong distinguished scientists with specialized or significant experience in agricultural research, education and economics.â€ President Donald Trumpâ€™s pick, Sam Clovis, doesnâ€™t seem to have any of those credentials. He has never taken science as part of his graduate course and questions the legitimacy of climate change. Although he has a doctorate in public administration and taught business and public policy at Morningside College for ten years, he barely published any academic work. Clovis had made a reputation for himself as a conservative talk radio show in Iowa and an avid Trump supporter. When asked to comment on his credentials in a recent interview with KYXL Radio, Clovis, who is currently working as the senior White House advisor within the USDA, argued that he was â€œproudâ€ he didnâ€™t have any scientific credentials or education, because â€œscientists are nothing more than a bunch of mislead individuals anyway â€¦ When I get back home from work â€“ believe me â€“ I thank God every single day that he had the mercy not to make me a scientist as well â€¦ Thatâ€™s why Iâ€™m happy Iâ€™m not one of them. At the end of the day, scientists are nothing more than a bunch of dumb, regular people with limited vision who think dinosaurs actually existed and the earth is somehow getting warmer. They donâ€™t even consider the fact that thereâ€™s more to us, to our species than just the physical and the tangible. Itâ€™s as funny as it is pitiful,â€ he said. When asked why he continues to work as president Trumpâ€™s pick for top scientist if thatâ€™s how he feels about it, he replied, â€œWell, just because youâ€™re a member of the Trump administration doesnâ€™t mean you donâ€™t have to pay the bills. That used to work for members of the Obama administration, if I remember correctly. Not now,â€ Clovis concluded. > A source linked at the bottom of the page was Politicops, well known as a purveyor of hoaxes and embellishments based on current events using a model that mixes real stories with fiction. Although Politicops and its sister sites Newslo, Religionlo, and Politicalo have their own disclaimers, USPOLN.comâ€™s isÂ nearly identical: < Welcome to USPOLN Portal. We are hybrid News/Satire platform to provide the latest and breaking news for for Political, Government, Cultural, and Religion news.. DISCLAIMER: USPOLN may include information from sources that may or may not be reliable and facts that donâ€™t necessarily exist. These Articles should be considered satirical and any and all quotes attributed to actual people complete and total baloney. > Although news outlets reported on 12 May 2017 that Sam Clovis was believed to be President Trumpâ€™s top pick for the USDA slot, the portions of the USPOLN.com article quoting him on matters of science, paleontology, and climatology are completelyÂ fabricated.