President-elect Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he will nominate Brooke Rollins, a former White House aide, to be the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. This marks the final nomination to lead an executive agency in his incoming administration, rounding out his Cabinet selections with another trusted ally from within his circle of advisers.
Rollins’ nomination will need to be confirmed by the Senate, which will remain under Republican control when Trump is inaugurated on January 20, 2025. If confirmed, she will succeed Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary under President Joe Biden, who oversees policies and programs related to farming, ranching, food safety, forestry, and nutrition.
A Texas A&M University graduate with a degree in agricultural development, Rollins has long been a close associate of Trump, having served as the White House Domestic Policy Chief during his first term. Currently, she is the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank playing a key role in shaping the policy agenda for a second Trump administration.
Rollins, 52, has an extensive background in public policy, having worked as an aide to former Texas Governor Rick Perry and led the Texas Public Policy Foundation. She is also an experienced attorney, having worked in litigation in Dallas and clerked for a federal judge in the Northern District of Texas after earning her law degree from the University of Texas.
Rollins’ nomination completes Trump’s selection of heads for the executive branch departments. However, a few Cabinet-level positions, including U.S. Trade Representative and the head of the Small Business Administration, remain unfilled.