More than a dozen different ag leaders were rumored to be in the running to become President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Ag Secretary—including Indiana’s Kip Tom and Ted McKinney. But over the weekend, Brooke Rollins of Texas, who was not among those mentioned in the “rumor mill”, was ultimately chosen by Trump to lead USDA in his second term.
“There are issues right now that she’ll come on day one that have been ongoing. I think we have the right person to go in there and roll up her sleeves,” says Jess Peterson, Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association.
He admits that Rollins isn’t as well-known to ag leaders across the U.S., but he says that also has its advantages.
“That means she won over President-elect Trump, and she has something that President Trump believes, and frankly, she comes from some out-of-the-box thinking. She’s from Texas, so she’s not going to be beholden to anyone in the Beltway in Washington. She’s going to work on America-first priorities. And there’s some very, very key issues from the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association perspective that we look forward to working with her that are very critical, both from the previous Trump administration and the Biden administration. that we need to work to keep moving forward,” he says.
Rollins had served in Trump’s first administration as director of the Office of American Innovation and as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council. Since leaving the White House, Rollins co-founded the America First Policy Institute and serves as the organization’s President and CEO.
She also has a degree from Texas A&M in agricultural development and a law degree from the University of Texas.
Peterson says that Rollins’ background is a plus.
“I always like folks that get in that role, that look that they’re not looking for the next big consulting gig after it. They truly are excited. They come from the grassroots. She has a legal background, a law degree that’s very helpful. She served in state politics, so you look at a resume of both real-world working knowledge and policy knowledge. So, she brings both of those to the table,” he says.
Once Rollins is confirmed by the U.S. Senate early next year, Rollins will oversee USDA’s 29 agencies, over 106,000 federal employees, and a budget of more than $437 billion.
