President-elect Trump has nominated Brooke Rollins, a former White House aide during his first administration, to serve as USDA secretary for a second term.
“Mr. Brooke's commitment to supporting America's farmers, preserving America's food sufficiency, and restoring America's small towns that rely on agriculture is second to none,” President Trump said in a statement.
Rollins, who holds a degree in agricultural development and a J.D. from Texas A&M University, served as Trump's domestic policy director during his first term and now heads a think tank aligned with Trump. If confirmed, she would succeed Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in the Biden administration and lead the agency that oversees the nation's agriculture, ranching, forestry and related areas such as food quality and nutrition.
Here's what you need to know about the next nominee for Agriculture Secretary.
Leading domestic policy in President Trump's first term
Mr. Rollins, 52, served as director of the Domestic Policy Council during President Trump's first administration, as well as director of the Office of Innovation and Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives.
President Trump said in a release that Rollins “did an outstanding job” in his first term and “was instrumental in developing and managing the administration's transformative domestic policy agenda.” She first joined his Economic Advisory Council in 2016.
Mr. Trump faced criticism from former staffers during his campaign for a second term, but Mr. Rollins was one of Mr. Trump's most outspoken defenders.
“For every former Trump official or staff member who is now saying negative things, who worked for him, who worked in the White House or in his administration, I would say they would be happy to have the opportunity to come back and work for Trump again.” There will be hundreds of people who will say, 'I'm going to do that right now,''' Rollins said earlier this year.
Heads think tank full of former Trump staffers
Mr. Rollins has spent the past four years at the helm of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a nonprofit founded by former Trump administration officials, and after Mr. Trump lost his re-election bid, Mr. He has focused on promoting policies during his first term.
President Trump recognized her work as president and CEO of AFPI, which is listed as a nonpartisan organization, and her leadership at the advocacy group America First Works (AFW), where she serves on the board. “We have built a team of loyal patriots,” he said. and championing the policies of our America First Agenda. ”
It is worth noting that AFPI led the $10 million Save America Coalition campaign against President Biden's economic plan in 2021. Since then, the group has been described as the “White House waiting for President Trump's return to the White House.” CNN coverage.
And Rollins is not the only AFPI leader that President Trump has high hopes for in the next administration. He nominated Scott Turner as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Linda McMahon, Chair of the AFPI Board of Directors, as Secretary of Education.
surprise pick
President Trump's announcement this weekend that he would nominate Rollins came as somewhat of a surprise, as it had been expected that he would nominate former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) for the role.
Loeffler co-chairs President Trump's second inaugural committee with real estate mogul Steve Witkoff. On the other hand, Rollins reportedly under consideration Susie Wiles eventually became Trump's chief of staff.
Politico reported Rollins had less experience in agricultural policy than the other candidates on the list of candidates for the next president, and there was intense internal competition over who would be the nominee.
Rollins promotes his Texas roots
Rollins is a Texas native and previously served as an aide to former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who was President 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 went back and sat down with the group. board of directors In 2021.
In his announcement, President Trump touted her involvement in the youth agriculture program Future Farmers of America and 4-H. rollins called Her appointment to the secretary position was “a big deal for a small-town farming girl in Glen Rose, Texas.” If confirmed to the position, she would become the second woman to lead the Department of Agriculture.
She will take on the role within the sector's agenda
While farm organizations celebrated Rollins' nomination, leaders emphasized that if confirmed, she would take on a role within the agricultural sector's historic agenda.
U.S. Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall the group said He said he was “encouraged” by Rollins' pledge to fight for America's farmers, adding, “As farmers and ranchers face a challenging agricultural economy, effective leadership at the USDA is more important than ever.” ' he claimed.
National Farmers Union President Rob Loeb he said so “We hope that her rural roots will instill in her the important role that family farmers and ranchers play in supporting our nation's economy,” he said. He pointed out that there were “issues”.
Trump's Price proposal and Plan for mass deportation It could have a major impact on the agriculture and food industries, which contributed a whopping $1.583 trillion to the U.S. economy last year. According to the USDAand more support 34 million American work.
