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Brooke Rollins

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Brooke Rollins
Image of Brooke Rollins

Nonpartisan

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

0

Predecessor

Education

High school

Glen Rose High School

Bachelor's

Texas A&M University

Law

University of Texas School of Law

Contact

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal Instagram

Brooke L. Rollins is the United States secretary of agriculture in President Donald Trump's (R) second administration. The Senate voted 72-28 to confirm her on February 13, 2025.[1]

Rollins co-founded the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) in 2021 and was the president and CEO of the nonprofit group with a mission of advancing President Donald Trump's public policy agenda after his first term in office.[2] Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council during the first Trump administration, co-founded AFPI with Rollins.[2] She was also the head of Trump's Domestic Policy Council and an assistant to the president in the Office of American Innovation in Trump's first presidential term.[3]

Rollins grew up in Glen Rose, Texas, 52 miles southwest of Fort Worth, and graduated from Glen Rose High School, where she was a member of the Texas FFA Association and served as a State Officer.[2] She attended Texas A&M University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Development and was the first female to serve as Student Body President.[4]

Rollins graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and spent several years as a litigator with Hughes & Luce, L.L.P., in Dallas, Texas, focusing primarily on complex commercial litigation. She also completed a federal judicial clerkship with the Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn, a United States Federal District Judge in the Northern District of Texas.[2] Rollins' mother, Helen Kerwin (R), won election to the Texas House of Representatives in 2024.

From 2003 to 2018, Rollins was the president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a public policy think tank which described its mission as "to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas and the nation," and that conducted research on education, taxes, tort reform, deregulation, criminal justice, and health care policy.[4] During her time leading the organization, the Dallas Morning News described the foundation as "advocates for small government and free markets."[5] Rollins also served as Governor Rick Perry’s (R) deputy general counsel, and later as his policy director, managing state policy issues including education, transportation, natural resources, agriculture, criminal justice, economic development, health and human services, and insurance.[6]

According to reporting from Politico, during the first Trump administration "Rollins allied herself with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who was widely viewed as the leader of the White House’s more centrist and corporatist faction."[6] After her nomination for secretary of Agriculture, Politico reported that "conservative-leaning agriculture groups... view Rollins as a potentially promising pick, but still a wildcard on traditional agriculture policy."[7]

President Trump announced on November 23, 2024, that he had selected Rollins as his nominee for secretary of Agriculture in his second presidential term. In a statement, Trump said, "Brooke's commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none."[8]

Biography

Raised in Glen Rose, Rollins graduated from Glen Rose High School, where she was an active member of the Texas FFA Association, serving as a State Officer. She attended Texas A&M University and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Development. While at Texas A&M, Rollins was the first female to serve as Student Body President and was recognized as the top graduate based on academics, leadership, and service. Rollins was invited back to campus as the 2007 Aggie Muster speaker.

Rollins graduated with honors from the University of Texas School of Law and spent several years as a litigator with Hughes & Luce, L.L.P., in Dallas, Texas, focusing primarily on complex commercial litigation. She also completed a federal judicial clerkship with the Honorable Barbara M.G. Lynn, a United States Federal District Judge in the Northern District of Texas.

Rollins formerly worked as the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit group with a mission of advancing former President Donald Trump's public policy agenda. Previously, Rollins was the head of Trump's Domestic Policy Council and an assistant to the president in the Office of American Innovation in Trump's first presidential term.[9]

Rollins is the former president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a free market public policy think tank that has conducted research on education, taxes, tort reform, deregulation, criminal justice, and health care policy.[10] Before joining the TPPF, Rollins served as Governor Rick Perry’s deputy general counsel, and later as his policy director. She managed the Governor’s Policy Division and all policy issues, including education, transportation, natural resources, agriculture, criminal justice, economic development, health and human services, and insurance.

Rollins is a member of the Texas Lyceum, the Texas Bar Association, and the Texas A&M Former Students Association.

Nomination for U.S. secretary of agriculture

See also: Donald Trump presidential transition, 2024-2025 and Confirmation process for Brooke Rollins for secretary of agriculture
Donald Trump's Cabinet
(second term)
Candidate: Brooke Rollins
Position: Secretary of Agriculture
ApprovedaAnnounced:November 23, 2024
ApprovedaHearing:January 23, 2025
ApprovedaCommittee:Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
ApprovedaReported:Favorable (23-0)
ApprovedaConfirmed:February 13, 2025
ApprovedaVote:72-28

Trump announced on November 23, 2024, that he had selected Rollins as his nominee for secretary of Agriculture in his second presidential term. In a statement, Trump said, "Brooke's commitment to support the American Farmer, defense of American Food Self-Sufficiency, and the restoration of Agriculture-dependent American Small Towns is second to none."[11]

The Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry held a confirmation hearing for Rollins on January 23, 2025.[12] The Senate voted 72-28 to confirm Rollins on February 13, 2025.[13] Click here to read more about the confirmation process.

Summary of Senate vote on Brooke Rollins' nomination for secretary of agriculture (February 13, 2025)
Party Votes for Votes against Not voting
Democratic Party Democrats 19 26 0
Republican Party Republicans 53 0 0
Grey.png Independents 0 2 0
Totals 72 28 0



Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Rollins and her husband Mark, an executive in the energy business, live in Fort Worth.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms NAME. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Brooke Rollins - Google News

See also

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Senate Press Gallery, "Thursday, February 13, 2025," February 13, 2025
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 America First Policy Institute, "The Honorable Brooke L. Rollins," accessed January 29, 2025 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "afpi" defined multiple times with different content
  3. ↑ White House, "Presidential Memorandum on The White House Office of American Innovation," March 27, 2017
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Texas Public Policy Foundation, "Brooke L. Rollins," accessed January 29, 2025
  5. ↑ The Dallas Morning News, "Trump adds Texas think tank leader to White House innovation team," February 16, 2018
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Politico, "Trump Loves Her. His Allies Don’t Trust Her." October 25, 2024
  7. ↑ Politico, "Trump taps loyalist Rollins for USDA chief in surprise pick," November 23, 2024
  8. ↑ Truth Social, "Donald Trump on November 23, 2024," accessed November 23, 2024
  9. ↑ White House, "Presidential Memorandum on The White House Office of American Innovation," March 27, 2017
  10. ↑ Texas Public Policy Foundation, "Brooke Rollins," accessed December 17, 2013
  11. ↑ Truth Social, "Donald Trump on November 23, 2024," accessed November 23, 2024
  12. ↑ United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, "Nomination Hearing," accessed January 16, 2025
  13. ↑ Senate Press Gallery, "Thursday, February 13, 2025," February 13, 2025
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