UN chooses Trump's proposed candidate for World Food Program

Lindberg, current Undersecretary of Trade and International Agricultural Affairs of the United States Department of Agriculture, will replace also American Cindy McCain, António Guterres' office reported.

The American was chosen from more than 50 candidates, a number that was reduced to nine in a first selection.

Since 1992, all PAM executive directors – based in Rome – have been from the United States.

Lindberg has been a member of Donald Trump's administration since August 2025, when the Senate confirmed his nomination for office.

This vote was not without controversy, as Republican majority leader John Thune is Lindberg's father-in-law.

The election for WFP takes place in a context of cuts by the Trump government in humanitarian aid funds: last year, the amount was reduced by about 30% compared to the previous year.

In addition, after the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the executive transferred the “Food for Peace” program to the Department of Agriculture, where Lindbergh himself worked on restructuring it so that the food packages were composed of 100% American products.

According to a statement from Guterres' office, Lindberg has leadership experience in food assistance policies, commercial promotion and international financial operations.

In addition, it promoted institutional reforms, governance and resource allocation in difficult contexts.

Lindberg “led trade and diplomatic missions to dozens of countries on six continents and mobilised significant humanitarian resources to countries of high need, while promoting complementary funding approaches, including public-private partnerships,” says the UN statement.

Previously, Lindberg served as President and Executive Director of the South Dakota Trade Association and as Chief of Staff and Strategy Director of the U.S. Export and Import Bank, among other positions.