Trump nominates Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture

WASHINGTON: US President-elect Donald Trump has announced Brooke Rollins as his pick for Secretary of Agriculture. Rollins, who currently serves as president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, is expected to bring her policy expertise to the role.

“As our next Secretary of Agriculture, Brooks will lead the effort to protect America’s farmers, who are truly the backbone of our country,” Trump said in a statement.

If confirmed by the Senate, Rollins will lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county in the country whose responsibilities include farm and nutrition programs, forestry, home and farm lending, food security, rural development, agricultural research, trade and others. It had a budget of $437.2 billion in 2024.

The candidate’s agenda will have consequences for American diets and wallets, both in the cities and the countryside. Department of Agriculture officials and staff negotiate trade deals, guide dietary recommendations, inspect meat, fight wildfires and support rural broadband, among other activities.

“Brooke’s commitment to supporting the American farmer, defending American food self-sufficiency, and restoring America’s small towns that depend on agriculture is unparalleled,” Trump said in the statement.

The America First Policy Institute is a right-leaning think tank whose staff has worked closely with the Trump campaign to help shape policy for his incoming administration. He chaired the Domestic Policy Council during Trump’s first term.

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 hopes to grow through the production of sustainable jet fuel.

The nominee would also lead next year’s renegotiation of the US-Mexico-Canada trade deal, shadowed by disputes over Mexico’s effort to ban imports of genetically modified corn and quotas on Canadian dairy imports.

Trump has said he plans to again impose sweeping tariffs that are likely to affect the agricultural sector.

He was considering offering the role to former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a staunch ally whom he tapped to co-chair his inaugural committee, CNN reported Friday.