Brooke Rollins

Early life and career

Rollins was born in Glen Rose, Texas, a small town located outside Fort Worth. She grew up on a farm. Rollins attended Glen Rose High School where she participated in Future Farmers of America, 4-H, and was a state officer for the Texas FFA Association. Her mother, Helen Kerwin, was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2024. After high school, Rollins attended Texas A&M University, graduating with a B.S. in agricultural development in 1994. While at Texas A&M, Rollins was the first woman to be elected student body president. She also served as the speaker pro tempore of the Student Senate, the chair of the Texas A&M Judicial Court, as a Fish Camp counselor, and was Cotton Bowl Classic Queen. In 2007, Rollins became the first female speaker at the College Station Aggie Muster, which honors deceased Texas A&M former students.

After law school, Rollins worked as an commercial litigator at Hughes & Luce, LLP in Dallas for several years. She also clerked with U.S. Federal District Court Judge Barbara M. Lynn for the Northern District of Texas. Rollins also worked for Texas Governor Rick Perry in positions including deputy general counsel, ethics advisor, and policy director.

In 2003, Wendy Gramm, a professor at Texas A&M and wife of U.S Senator Phil Gramm, tapped Rollins to run the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a conservative think tank. Rollins served as the organization's president and CEO until 2018. During her tenure at TPPF, the think tank grew from having a staff of three to a staff of 100. In 2011, Texas Monthly named Rollins one of the 25 most powerful Texans. During her time at the foundation, it advocated for the end of agriculture subsidies for farmers and opposed ethanol requirements for fuels.

First Trump administration

Office of American Innovation

In February 2018, it was reported that Rollins would replace Reed Cordish, who served as an assistant for intergovernmental and technology initiatives, within the Office of American Innovation. She subsequently joined the administration as the director of the Office of American Innovation and on September 6, 2018, also became the assistant to the president for strategic initiatives.

Rollins was influential in encouraging the passage of the First Step Act, legislation that reforms the nation's prison system and seeks to reduce recidivism. The First Step Act was signed into law by President Trump in December 2018.

Domestic Policy Council

In May 2020, President Trump named Rollins acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council.

In her first public interview as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council, Rollins said she was focused on finding bipartisan solutions to address the murder of George Floyd. She said the White House was "working through a list of solutions and possibilities" and that she wanted to make the issue "a unifying force for this country". According to Politico, the order was crafted "in consultation with police officers, mayors, conservative African Americans, faith-based leaders and the families of victims."

Between first and second Trump administrations

In December 2020, Rollins and Larry Kudlow began forming a new nonprofit organization focused on continuing to promote Trump's public policies.

Rollins was the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, founded in 2021 to plan and promote Trump's public policy agenda, as well as file election lawsuits in battleground states. The organization was staffed with multiple current and former Trump administration officials, including Secretary of Education Linda McMahon.

Rollins served as a leader of the Save America Coalition, launched in 2021 to oppose Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion economic proposal.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (2025–present)

Nomination and confirmation

On November 23, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Rollins to serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Rollins is the second woman to hold the position after Ann Veneman. She appeared before the Senate Committee on Agriculture on January 23, 2025. Her nomination was supported by the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Forest & Paper Association, Association of Equipment Manufacturers, International Fresh Produce Association, U.S. Seafood Policy Council, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, National Mining Association, Independent Women's Forum, and Fertilizer Institute.

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced Rollins' nomination in a unanimous vote on February 3, 2025. On February 13, 2025, the United States Senate confirmed Rollins as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by a 72–28 vote.

Tenure

On February 13, 2025, Rollins was sworn into office as the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture by U.S. Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas.

Rollins opposed the California farm animal welfare law Proposition 12 in 2018, which prohibits the sale of food products raised in intensive battery cages, gestation crates, and veal crates, and supported efforts to overturn it on a federal level. In her confirmation hearing in January 2025, Rollins told Senator Joni Ernst that she would work with Congress on legislation to preempt certain state animal welfare laws. At a House Appropriations Committee hearing in May 2025, she called Proposition 12 "not sustainable." In July 2025, Rollins stated that she supports a federal lawsuit against California aimed at overturning Proposition 12, Proposition 2, and related regulations on the conditions of laying hens.

On June 23, 2025, Rollins announced an end to the "roadless rule" that was put into place by President Bill Clinton just before he left office in 2001. The rule had prevented any road construction on 58 million acres of national forest land. Rollins explained "President Trump is removing absurd obstacles to common-sense management of our natural resources by rescinding the overly restrictive roadless rule." In August 2025, Rollins moved forward with ending this "roadless rule", which will affect around 45 million acres of land in the national forest.

On January 9, 2026, Rollins announced that effective immediately, the USDA is suspending financial awards to the state of Minnesota and city of Minneapolis, in response to "widespread and systemic fraud associated with federal benefit programs".

Personal life

Rollins has four children with her husband, Mark Rollins.

References

References

1. (February 26, 2025). "Brooke L. Rollins (2024- ) | Miller Center".
2. Trump, Donald. (November 23, 2024). "Statement by President-elect Donald J. Trump Announcing the Nomination of Brooke L. Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture".
3. (January 23, 2025). "Nomination of Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of Agriculture". U.S. Government Publishing Office.
4. Qiu, Linda. (2024-11-23). "Trump Picks Brooke Rollins, a Conservative Lawyer, to Lead Agriculture Dept.". The New York Times.
5. (2024-10-24). "The Group at the Center of Trump's Planning for a Second Term Is One You Haven't Heard of". The New York Times.
6. (2024-11-24). "Trump picks Brooke Rollins to be agriculture secretary". [[Reuters]].
7. "US Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead the USDA". Reuters.
8. "Nominees".
9. Dearman, Eleanor. (May 29, 2024). "A shift to the right: Challengers win Republican Fort Worth area House runoffs".
10. "Post Live Election Daily with Acting Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Brooke Leslie Rollins and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn". Washington Post.
11. Nelson, Kriss. (November 27, 2024). "Brooke Rollins nominated as U.S. agriculture secretary". Iowa Soybean Association.
12. (April 20, 2007). "Aggies to gather for Muster, first woman SBP to speak". [[The Battalion]].
13. (February 27, 2018). "Glen Rose native taking advisor post in White House". Glen Rose Reporter.
14. (February 16, 2018). "Texas Public Policy Foundation head Brooke Rollins to join White House". Teas Tribune.
15. (February 16, 2018). "Fort Worth's Rollins joins Kushner-run White House post". Star-Telegram.
16. (January 18, 2011). "Texas Monthly's 25 Most Powerful Texans". Texas Tribune.
17. Douglas, Leah. (January 22, 2025). "Trump's USDA secretary pick led group opposed to ethanol, farm subsidies". [[Reuters]].
18. O'Connell, Jonathan. (February 16, 2018). "Trump tech adviser Reed Cordish is leaving the White House". Washington Post.
19. (September 6, 2018). "President Donald J. Trump Announces Appointments for the Executive Office of the President".
20. (December 18, 2018). "White House green-lights Texas think tank's ideas, irking Capitol Hill Republicans". Star Telegram.
21. (May 14, 2020). "Trump to Name Brooke Rollins as Domestic Policy Adviser". New York Times.
22. (May 20, 2020). "Trump taps Brooke Rollins as acting domestic policy chief". The Hill.
23. "How chatter and conservative anger upended a White House staffing search". POLITICO.
24. (June 1, 2020). "Trump's domestic policy chief says White House 'working through' proposals to unify country". Politico.
25. (June 15, 2020). "Trump's answer to nationwide protests: Police-friendly reforms". Politico.
26. (December 22, 2020). "Senior Trump advisers prepare to launch policy group". Politico.
27. (October 10, 2022). "Analysis {{!}} What Will Happen to America if Trump Wins Again? Experts Helped Us Game It Out.". Washington Post.
28. (September 16, 2021). "Former Trump aides to spearhead multimillion-dollar campaign against Biden economic plan". Washington Post.
29. (November 23, 2024). "Trump Chooses Brooke Rollins to Lead Agriculture Department". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
30. Bustillo, Ximena. (November 23, 2024). "Trump taps Brooke Rollins of America First Policy Institute for agriculture secretary". [[NPR]].
31. Choi, Matthew. (2025-01-23). "Brooke Rollins says she'll shield farmers from impacts of Trump's tariffs in ag secretary nomination hearing". [[The Texas Tribune]].
32. (January 23, 2023). "Nomination of Brooke Rollins to Be Secretary of Agriculture". [[United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry]].
33. Yarrow, Grace. (2025-02-03). "Trump's USDA pick sails through committee". [[Politico]].
34. Weaver, Al. (February 13, 2025). "Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead USDA". [[The Hill (newspaper).
35. (February 13, 2025). "Brooke L. Rollins Sworn in as 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture".
36. Hancock, Katherine. (February 13, 2025). "Brooke Rollins '94 to lead U.S. Department of Agriculture".
37. (28 January 2025). "Trump Cabinet nominee says she'll work to kill California pork law". San Francisco Chronicle.
38. (9 May 2025). "Sec. Rollins Appears Before House Appropriations Committee". Iowa PBS.
39. (12 May 2025). "USDA's Rollins says Proposition 12 'Just not sustainable'". Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
40. (10 July 2025). "Secretary Rollins Issues Statement Following Trump Administration Lawsuit Against California". USDA.
41. (23 June 2025). "Trump Administration to End Protections for 58 Million Acres of National Forests". [[The New York Times]].
42. (August 27, 2025). ""Secretary Rollins Opens Next Step in the Roadless Rule Rescission"". U.S. Department of Agriculture.
43. (January 9, 2026). "USDA suspending millions in financial awards to Minnesota over fraud". [[KARE (TV).
44. (2024-11-24). "Brooke Rollins' family and love life: All about her husband Mark Rollins and their four children".