Ben Carson Sworn In as USDA Nutrition Adviser

Ben Carson was sworn in Sept. 24 as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Advisor for Nutrition, Health and Housing and will advise President Trump and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins while serving on the administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission. In the newly created role he is billed as the department’s chief voice on nutrition, rural healthcare quality and housing accessibility and will help implement rural-health provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill. Carson is expected to play a major role in updating the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and supporting USDA efforts — including state waivers — to limit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program purchases of certain junk foods. A retired pediatric neurosurgeon and former HUD secretary who founded the American Cornerstone Institute, Carson has publicly endorsed MAHA goals and questioned food additives and other nutrition policies. Some reports describe the appointment as temporary, and his return to government has drawn scrutiny from medical experts and some lawmakers. Reporting also says President Trump plans to award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.