Trump picks former domestic policy adviser Brooke Rollins for agriculture secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has named longtime ally Brooke Rollins to be agriculture secretary.
Rollins is currently president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative, pro-Trump think tank she formed in 2021 alongside other members of the former president's orbit while out of office.
"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.
If confirmed by the Senate, Rollins would lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county in the country, whose remit includes farm and nutrition programs, forestry, home and farm lending, food safety, rural development, agricultural research, trade and more. It had a budget of $437.2 billion in 2024.
The 52-year old attorney had also been reportedly considered as a possible White House chief of staff for Trump. The president-elect had in private conservations referred to her a "great" option, saying that "she’s tall" and "got the look," the New York Times reported last month.
But the position ultimately went to Trump's 2024 campaign manager, Susie Wiles. Trump announced Wiles just days after his decisive electoral win earlier this month.
Rollins was one of many speakers at the Republican National Convention. A conservative lawyer, she served as acting director of the White House's Domestic Policy Council in the final year of Trump's first term.
Before her time in Washington, Rollins, a Texas-native, served as an aide to then-Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry. She was also CEO and president of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think-tank in the Lone Star State.
The agriculture secretary's agenda would carry implications for American diets and wallets, both urban and rural. Department of Agriculture officials and staff negotiate trade deals, guide dietary recommendations, inspect meat, fight wildfires and support rural broadband, among other activities.
As agriculture secretary, Rollins would advise the administration on how and whether to implement clean fuel tax credits for biofuels at a time when the sector is hoping to grow through the production of sustainable aviation fuel.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Brooke Rollins, Trump's pick for agriculture secretary