Description: The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has fired 70 foreign individuals working as research staff due to national security concerns of endangering the US food supply. USDA launched an internal review which identified individuals with ties to nations of concern such as China, Russia, North Korea and Iran who could have potentially compromised US food supply nationwide. Most of the identified individuals were Chinese post – doctoral researchers who worked under two – year contracts and have been previously vetted. The USDA is expected to experience shortages in research staff, following a hiring suspension initiated by the Trump administration which has been extended until Oct.
Impact: The Trump administration domestic systematic crackdown would cause irreparable consequences to crucial US departments and would undermine the government’s effectiveness of combating foreign threats from adversarial countries. Chinese, Russian and North Korean infiltration within the USDA has demonstrated the weaponization of food supply chains and signals severe weaknesses within the screening and vetting process implemented within the department. Trump’s hiring suspensions would further debilitate key US departments and endanger the country’s national security, threatening more severe consequences to US national capacities over several national departments.