Brooke Rollins, president of the America First Policy Institute, an organization closely allied with President-elect Donald Trump, has been selected to serve as agriculture secretary.

President-elect Donald Trump made the announcement Saturday, saying Rollins' "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." 

In a post on X, Rollins thanked Trump "for the opportunity to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. It will be the honor of my life to fight for America’s farmers and our Nation’s agricultural communities. This is big stuff for a small-town ag girl from Glen Rose, TX — truly the American Dream at its greatest."

She ended with, "WHO’S READY TO MAKE AGRICULTURE GREAT AGAIN?"

GOP ag committee leaders from the Senate and House both offered well wishes.

Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, issued a statement shortly after the announcement. “Congratulations to Brooke Rollins on her nomination to serve as Secretary of USDA," Boozman said. "I look forward to working with her to ensure that modern agriculture remains competitive and allows farm families to thrive so they can continue to supply an affordable and abundant supply of food and fiber.”

And Glenn "GT" Thompson, chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said on X, "Congratulations to @BrookeLRollins on the nomination to lead USDA. I look forward to working with you and @RealDonaldTrump to make agriculture great again!"

Kip Tom, an Indiana farmer and ambassador during the Trump administration to the UN Food and Agriculture agencies in Rome, also offered congratulations. "Brooke has been a Trump loyalist from the beginning and having grown up as part of a generational farming family, Agriculture is in her DNA," he said on X. "I stand ready to assist with issues related to agriculture and rural America."

Tom had been mentioned as a leading candidate to be chosen by Trump as Agriculture Secretary.

Senate Ag Committee member and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst met with Trump, Secretary of Commerce nominee Howard Lutnick and Department of Government Efficiency co-leader Elon Musk Saturday, Ernst shared in a post on X. 

Following the official announcement, she commented, "I look forward to working alongside her and President Trump to fight for Iowa farmers and stand up for rural America."

Rollins has been president and CEO of the AFPI since its founding in 2021 by Rollins and other Trump administration officials. She served as director of the Domestic Policy Council and assistant to the president for strategic initiatives during the first Trump administration. Rollins, 52, was considered a leading candidate to be Trump's White House chief of staff but he went with Susan Wiles instead. 

Prior to joining the White House, Rollins for 15 years ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a group that is a strong advocate for property rights and fossil fuels, and which works to cut regulations and taxes in that state.

Rollins, a native of Glen Rose, Texas, southwest of Fort Worth, has a degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M University and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She was the first female student body president at A&M.

Corey Rosenbusch, who is president and CEO of The Fertilizer Institute, grew up in the same area as Rollins and said he knew her well. She was active in 4-H and FFA, was a state FFA officer, and grew up raising horses and showing goats, Rosenbusch said. 

He said the agriculture industry would have a forceful advocate – and one well connected to Trump – under Rollins. 

“Brooke's going to understand agriculture. She's going to be in touch with the right people. But more importantly, I think she's going to have the president’s ear. She's going to really have access to the president. … They have a very close relationship,” said Rosenbusch.

Early reaction came from former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, a senior adviser at AFPI. "Brooke Rollins is the absolute best Nomination for Sect. Of Ag. I could possibly think of by President Trump," he said on X. "She is an absolute force of Nature. Congratulations to our AFPI leadership."

Growing up, Rollins was the first runner up in the Miss Texas Farm Bureau contest. 

"We're pleased she has a good relationship with our state Farm Bureau in Texas and hope to build on it if she's confirmed by the Senate," said American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall. "We're encouraged by her statement that she'd ‘fight for America’s farmers and our nation’s agricultural communities.’ Effective leadership at USDA is more important than ever as farmers and ranchers face a struggling agricultural economy."

Growth Energy CEO Emily Skor said the group "looks forward to engaging with Secretary-Designate Rollins and demonstrating how our industry is vital to growing jobs and innovation across rural America and unleashing American energy dominance. The USDA Secretary is rural America’s voice in the White House, and we will work hard to ensure Rollins is well-positioned to deliver on President Trump’s rural agenda, expand markets for homegrown renewable fuel, and bring more low-cost options to the pump.”

The National Council of Farmer Cooperatives also issued a statement. “I would like to congratulate Brooke Rollins on her nomination to be the next Secretary of Agriculture," President and CEO Chuck Conner said. "As someone who grew up in a rural community directly connected to agriculture, she has a deep respect and appreciation for the work that America’s farmers and ranchers do. We look forward to working with her both in the upcoming confirmation process and once she assumes the role of secretary.”

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Marty Irby, president at Competitive Markets Action and secretary at the Organization for Competitive Markets, said,  "We applaud President Trump’s nomination of Brooke Rollins as Secretary of Agriculture, congratulate Brooke on achieving such a tremendous milestone in her career, and know she will make Texas proud. It’s time to pull the plug and drain the swamp of all the incestuous industrial agriculture lobbying interests that have sold American family farmers out to foreign multinational conglomerates in China and Brazil.”

Mitchell Hora, Iowa farmer and founder and CEO of Continuum Ag, said on X, "Congratulations! Looking forward to working with you to support American ag, drive #SoilHealth, and successfully implement the #45Z tax credit!"

While in the White House, Rollins "developed and managed the transformational domestic policy agenda of the Trump Administration, leading to historic achievements for the American people," according to her AFPI bio.

Under her leadership, AFPI has been a strong critic of the Biden administration, the Inflation Reduction Act in particular, but has generally not addressed agriculture and food policy directly. The IRA, which Rollins called a "Big Government Socialism Bill," included a broad array of financial incentives for cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, including a dramatic increase in farm bill conservation programs aimed at spurring farmers to adopt climate-related farming practices.

In a statement criticizing the IRA, Rollins said Congress should instead "immediately cut excessive government spending, increase domestic energy production, and encourage greater supply through less burdensome taxes and regulations."

“Rollins needs to invest in America’s farmers – from small family farms to larger-scale operations – and to work toward a resilient and equitable food system that puts healthy food on the table, restores our soil, protects the climate, and safeguards the health of our communities," the Natural Resources Defense Council in a statement. "Project 2025 targets multiple essential USDA programs, but now is not the time to undermine climate-smart farming practices, favor industrial agriculture at the expense of small producers and consumers, or gut the nutrition programs that many Americans rely on.”   

AFPI's website includes policy positions on a wide range of issues, including election integrity and religious freedom, but most of its recent entries under "agriculture" feature commentaries criticizing Kamala Harris's energy policy, outlining the costs of banning fracking, and raising alarm about Chinese purchases of U.S. farmland.

The Union of Concerned Scientists criticized the selection, saying that American First Policy Institute, which Rollins currently leads as president, does not have agriculture experts listed on staff. 

“Outside of a misdirected interest in Chinese ownership of U.S. farmland, Brooke Rollins appears to have no agricultural policy track record to comment on," said Karen Perry Stillerman, deputy director of the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "Rollins' AFPI, described as the second Trump administration in waiting, has so little interest in farm policy that there are no agriculture experts listed on its website." 

“This appears to be another example of President-elect Trump doling out cabinet appointments for loyalty rather than expertise. Our nation’s farmers, food workers, consumers and the public servants at the USDA deserve a secretary who knows and cares about the challenges they face," Perry Stillerman added. 

Rollins was a speaker at Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden in late October.

Describing herself, she said, “Only in America would a little girl raised by a single mom from a tiny town called Glen Rose, Texas ascend to work in the West Wing for the most consequential president of our lifetime, and only in America, with that same small town Texas girl, end up here in this incredible city with all of you at the world's most famous arena.”

She also defended Trump's plans to conduct mass deportations of people who entered the United States illegally: "Do you believe that Americans deserve to be protected from illegal aliens who come into our communities, and the best way to do that is the largest deportation in American history? Do you believe that?"

More reaction:

Mike Seyfert, president and CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association, said, "NGFA’s members represent much of the food and agriculture food chain, and we are excited to partner with Ms. Rollins and the entire Trump team to deliver for U.S. agriculture. I am confident she will bring valuable insight to the issues important to NGFA members and the entire food and agriculture chain. NGFA and I congratulate and look forward to working with her to Transform America’s Harvest.”

Rob Larew, president of the National Farmers Union, congratulated Rollins and said "I am hopeful her rural roots instilled in her the important role family farmers and ranchers play in supporting our nation’s economy."

Larew continued, "If confirmed, Ms. Rollins will begin her tenure at a time when family farmers and our communities face historic challenges, including soaring input costs, difficult market conditions, extreme weather events, and the ongoing need for the certainty of a five-year farm bill. We are eager to collaborate on solutions that ensure fair markets, a robust agriculture economy, and vibrant rural communities. Together, we can advance a stronger future for agriculture and rural America."

Mark Becker, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, said, "USDA and land-grant universities have been deeply connected ever since they were both founded in 1862. This partnership has enabled game-changing agricultural innovations that solve farmers’ most stubborn challenges and helped ensure the U.S. has the world’s most productive, vibrant, and resilient agricultural sector. We look forward to collaborating with Secretary-designate Rollins to strengthen this vital partnership and advance progress for communities to drive additional progress in communities across the country.”

The American Soybean Association weighed in, as well. Josh Gackle, ASA president and soy farmer from Kulm, North Dakota, said, “We appreciate that Rollins holds a degree in agriculture development and grew up on a farm and that she will bring that perspective, along with her policy experience from the previous Trump administration, to the role. The mission carried out by USDA is vital to the continued success both domestically and abroad for U.S. soybean farmers. ASA welcomes the opportunity to share the importance of soy in the U.S. economy and work with the department and this nominee upon her confirmation on issues critical to farmers.”

"ASA looks forward to working with Rollins on priorities ranging from farm bill to biotechnology, biofuels support to agricultural trade, among other issues that impact soy growers and agriculture at large," the group said.

National Sorghum Producers Chairwoman Amy France added, "We congratulate Brooke Rollins on her nomination as Secretary of Agriculture. This is an important moment for U.S. agriculture, and we are optimistic about the opportunities her leadership will bring to rural America." 

Sara Wyant, Steve Davies and Lydia Johnson contributed to this report. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.