President-elect Trump has tapped Brooke Rollins, a former White House aide in his first administration, to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in his second term.
“Brooke’s commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none,” Trump wrote in a release.
Rollins, who graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development and earned her JD from the University of Texas, was Trump’s domestic policy chief during his first term and now leads a Trump-aligned think tank. If confirmed, she would succeed the Biden administration’s Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to lead the agency that oversees the nation’s farming, ranching, forestry and related arenas like food quality and nutrition.
Here is what to know about the potential next Agriculture secretary:
Directed domestic policy during Trump’s first term
Rollins, 52, served as director of the Domestic Policy Council during Trump’s first stint in the Oval Office, as well as director of the Office of American Innovation and a presidential assistant for Strategic Initiatives.
Trump said in his release that Rollins “did an incredible job” during his first term and “helped develop and manage the transformational Domestic Policy Agenda of my Administration.” She first joined his Economic Advisory Council in 2016.
Trump faced criticism from former staffers as he campaigned for a second term, but Rollins was among the ex-aides outspoken in his defense.
“For every one former Trump official or staffer that now says negative things, you have hundreds that worked for him, that worked in the White House and in the administration that would love the opportunity to go back and work for him again, and would do so in a heartbeat,” Rollins said earlier this year.
Heads think tank filled with former Trump staffers
Rollins has spent the last four years at the helm of America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a nonprofit group launched by former Trump administration officials and focused on advancing Trump’s first-term agenda after he lost his reelection bid.
Trump praised her work as president and CEO of AFPI, which is listed as a nonpartisan group, and her leadership with the advocacy group America First Works (AFW), where she is a board member — lauding her for “building a team of loyal Patriots and championing the Policies of our America First Agenda.”
AFPI notably led a $10 million “Save America Coalition” campaign against President Biden’s economic plan back in 2021. The group has since been described as a “White-House-in-waiting” for Trump’s return to office, CNN reports.
And Rollins isn’t the only AFPI leader Trump’s turned to for his next administration. He nominated Scott Turner to serve as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and Linda McMahon, chair of the AFPI board, for Education Secretary.
Surprise pick
Trump’s announcement this weekend that he’d nominate Rollins came as somewhat of a surprise after it was expected that he’d tap former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) for the role.
Loeffler is serving as co-chair of Trump’s second inaugural committee, alongside real estate mogul Steve Witkoff. Rollins, in turn, had been reportedly considered for Trump’s chief of staff – a position that ultimately went to Susie Wiles.
Politico reported there were intense internal squabbles over who would get the nod, as Rollins had less experience in agricultural policy than others on the president-elect’s shortlist.
Rollins touts Texas roots
Rollins, a Texas native, previously served as an aide to former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was Trump’s first Energy Secretary.
She spent 15 years at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in the Lone Star State. She returned to sit on the group’s board of directors in 2021.
Trump in his announcement touted her involvement in youth agriculture programs Future Farmers of America and 4-H. Rollins called her nomination to the secretary slot “big stuff for a small-town ag girl from Glen Rose, TX.” If confirmed to the position, she’d be the second woman to lead the USDA.
She’d take on the role amid challenges for sector
Farm groups congratulated Rollins on her nomination, but leaders stressed that, if confirmed, she’ll take on the role amid historic challenges for the sector.
The American Farm Bureau’s president, Zippy Duvall, said the group was “encouraged” by Rollins’s promises to fight for America’s farmers, arguing “effective leadership at USDA is more important than ever as farmers and ranchers face a struggling agricultural economy.”
National Farmers Union president Rob Larew said he was “hopeful her rural roots instilled in her the important role family farmers and ranchers play in supporting our nation’s economy,” noting “historic challenges” for family farmers and communities at this time.
Trump’s tariff proposals and plans for mass deportations could have a big impact on the agriculture and food industries, which were responsible for a whopping $1.583 trillion in the U.S. economy last year, according to the USDA, and support over 34 million American jobs.
