Brooke Rollins

Brooke Rollins
Official portrait, 2025
33rd United States Secretary of Agriculture
Assumed office
February 13, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyStephen Vaden
Preceded byTom Vilsack
Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Acting
In office
May 24, 2020 – January 20, 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byJoe Grogan
Succeeded bySusan Rice
Personal details
Born (1972-04-10) April 10, 1972 (age 54)
Glen Rose, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Mark Rollins
Children4
EducationTexas A&M University (BS)
University of Texas at Austin (JD)

Brooke Leslie Rollins (born April 10, 1972) is an American lawyer and Republican politician who has been the 33rd and current United States Secretary of Agriculture since 2025. She was the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute. She was the acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council under President Donald Trump. Rollins was also part of the White House Office of American Innovation.

In November 2024, President-elect Trump picked Rollins to be his secretary of agriculture under his second administration. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February 2025, making Rollins the second woman to hold this role in the department's history.

Early life

Rollins was born in Glen Rose, Texas. She studied at Texas A&M University. While at Texas A&M, Rollins was the first woman to be elected student body president. Rollins graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.

After graduating from law school, Rollins worked as a lawyer in Dallas.

Rollins was president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation from 2003 through 2018. She also worked for Texas Governor Rick Perry as an advisor and general counsel.

First Trump administration

In February 2018, Rollins became President Donald Trump's assistant for intergovernmental and technology initiatives. She later became a member of the Office of American Innovation.

In May 2020, President Trump named Rollins acting director of the United States Domestic Policy Council. When she became acting director, the country was experiencing the massive protests after George Floyd was killed. She said she wanted "all sides of the table to figure out how we can move forward together."

After Donald Trump's lost in the 2020 presidential election, Rollins and Larry Kudlow created a new nonprofit organization focused on continuing Trump's ideas. Rollins became the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute in 2021.

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

On November 23, 2024, President-elect Trump nominated Rollins to serve as his secretary of agriculture for his second presidency. She appeared before the Senate Committee on Agriculture on January 23, 2025. The committee advanced her nomination in a unanimous vote on February 3. On February 13, 2025, the Senate confirmed Rollins as the secretary of agriculture in a 72-28 vote. She is the second woman to hold the position, after Ann Veneman.

References

  1. 1 2 Restuccia, Andrew; Leary, Alex (November 23, 2024). "Trump Chooses Brooke Rollins to Lead Agriculture Department". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Lim, Cherie; Lankes, Chelsea (April 20, 2007), "Aggies to gather for Muster, first woman SBP to speak", The Battalion, College Station, Texas, archived from the original on October 10, 2007, retrieved October 31, 2007
  3. ↑ "Q&A: Rollins reflects on being A&M's first female Student Body President". The Battalion. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
  4. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (February 27, 2018). "Glen Rose native taking advisor post in White House". Glen Rose Reporter. Texas Tribune. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  5. ↑ Smith, Evan (January 18, 2011). "Texas Monthly's 25 Most Powerful Texans". Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ Svitek, Patrick (February 16, 2018). "Texas Public Policy Foundation head Brooke Rollins to join White House". Teas Tribune. Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  7. ↑ O'Connell, Jonathan (February 16, 2018). "Trump tech adviser Reed Cordish is leaving the White House". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 16, 2018.
  8. ↑ Haberman, Maggie (May 14, 2020). "Trump to Name Brooke Rollins as Domestic Policy Adviser". New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  9. ↑ Samuels, Brett (May 20, 2020). "Trump taps Brooke Rollins as acting domestic policy chief". The Hill. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  10. ↑ "How chatter and conservative anger upended a White House staffing search". POLITICO. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  11. ↑ Halon, Yael (June 7, 2020). "White House's Brooke Rollins commits to 'renewing,' 'restoring' policing amid George Floyd unrest". Fox News. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  12. ↑ Isenstadt, Alex (December 22, 2020). "Senior Trump advisers prepare to launch policy group". Politico. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  13. ↑ Montgomery, David (October 10, 2022). "Analysis | What Will Happen to America if Trump Wins Again? Experts Helped Us Game It Out". Washington Post. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  14. ↑ 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. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  15. ↑ Yarrow, Grace (2025-02-03). "Trump's USDA pick sails through committee". Politico. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  16. ↑ Weaver, Al (February 13, 2025). "Senate confirms Brooke Rollins to lead USDA". The Hill.
  17. ↑ Johnson, Julia (2025-02-13). "Trump Agriculture pick confirmed as president racks up Cabinet wins". Fox News. Retrieved 2025-02-13.
  18. ↑ Bustillo, Ximena (November 23, 2024). "Trump taps Brooke Rollins of America First Policy Institute for agriculture secretary". NPR. Retrieved November 30, 2024.

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