Get To Know Brooke Rollins, Nominee for Agriculture Secretary

Texas attorney Brooke Rollins was recently announced as President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Rollins is the President and CEO of the nonprofit America First Policy Institute (AFPI), which was launched in 2021.

“As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke will spearhead the effort to protect American farmers, who are truly the backbone of our country,” Trump said in a statement.

This was the last major Cabinet post to be filled in the transition to Trump’s second administration, and according to reports from Politico, there was “ongoing fighting” about the position as the week went on.

Rollins was an early candidate for the chief of staff role before it went to Susan Wiles — after which Rollins “told the transition team that Agriculture secretary would be another role she would be interested in.” Rollins and Trump discussed the role. In a post on X following the announcement, Rollins said, “It will be the honor of my life to fight for America’s farmers and our nation’s agricultural communities.”

Background

The 52-year-old Rollins hails from Glen Rose, Texas, where she grew up on a family farm and participated in FFA, where she served as a state officer, and 4-H. Rollins stayed involved with both of those organizations and has been hands-on in the show cattle careers of her four children. The Rollins family lives in Fort Worth, Texas. 

In a post on X Sunday, thanking people for well wishes after the nomination announcement, she highlighted her agriculture teacher at Glen Rose High School, Gary Rosenbusch, saying he changed her life.

Rollins attended Texas A&M University, where she became the first woman to be named student body president, and graduated with an undergraduate degree in agricultural development in 1994. Rollins then earned her law degree from the University of Texas.

Post-law school, Rollins worked at Hughes & Luce LLP, a law firm in Dallas that has since merged with K&L Gates. She also served as the President and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) for 15 years, and worked as former Texas governor Rick Perry’s policy director. In 2018, Rollins was named an assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives and director of the Office of American Innovation. She held these positions until May 2020, when Trump appointed her director of the Domestic Policy Council until the end of his first administration. 

After Trump left office in 2021, Rollins co-founded the AFPI alongside former Trump adviser Larry Kudlow. Rollins has served as the AFPI’s President and CEO since its inception. She also rejoined the TPPF board of directors in April 2021.

Policy History

During her first year in the Trump administration, Rollins reportedly helped with the First Steps Act — a bill which overhauled the criminal justice system and was signed into law in December 2018. 

While Rollins was at the TPPF, the organization pushed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act along with influencing various other conservative policy initiatives in Texas. 

Rollins’ ag policy experience compared to other members of the Trump team’s shortlist for USDA leadership led to intense “jockeying” over the role up until the announcement, Politico reported.

If confirmed, Rollins will oversee the USDA’s $430 billion yearly budget and its heavy input on the food industry. As agriculture secretary, Rollins may work closely with Trump’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is expected to have heavy input on the food and agriculture industries if he is confirmed.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

This nomination seemed to catch many in the ag community by surprise based on names previously under consideration for the position. That said, reaction to her nomination has been favorable from all of the major ag and commodity organizations. Brooke Rollins does have agricultural roots that should serve her well as she interfaces with ag groups and meets with other ag leaders from across the globe. Her policy credentials appear to be sound which is also an important aspect of the job as USDA Secretary. Typically, the ag secretary position is pretty non-controversial when it comes to senate confirmation. What do farmers/ranchers in your area think about this appointment? Well, perhaps that might be a conversation starter when they visit your showroom.