CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he will nominate one of his former policy advisers, Brooke Rollins, to head the Department of Agriculture.
“Mr. Brooke’s commitment to supporting America’s farmers, preserving America’s food independence, and restoring America’s small towns that rely on agriculture is second to none,” President Trump said in a statement.
CNN reported early Saturday that Trump is expected to nominate Rollins to the post.
Rollins is the CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a group closely associated with Trump’s transition team, and has been a vocal supporter of the president-elect.
She congratulated President Trump following his election win earlier this month, writing in a post on X: “Mr. President, we love you. For an America built around your America First vision. I’m very proud to continue the fight.”
Rollins’ name had previously been floated as a possible White House chief of staff. However, Rollins resigned after it became clear that seeking the role would lead to a serious power struggle with Susie Wiles, who was ultimately nominated for the role.
Sources said Rollins told the transition team that agriculture secretary would also be a position of interest. Mr. Trump and Mr. Rollins spoke about their roles this week.
“As the next Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Brooke will lead efforts to protect the very foundation of our country: America’s farmers,” President Trump said in a statement Saturday. “Congratulations Brooke!”
Rollins served as director of the White House Domestic Policy Council during President Trump’s first term. Prior to that, he served as chairman of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank, for 15 years.
CNN reported Friday that President Trump is open to offering the post to businesswoman and former Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler, who met with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago on Friday afternoon. There has been some discussion about the position between Loeffler and the transition team. But President Trump refrained from announcing his own nominee for Agriculture Secretary on Friday night while announcing a number of other nominees, raising questions about whether Loeffler was ultimately offered the position.
The Department of Agriculture consists of 29 agencies and offices and has approximately 100,000 employees. In addition to agriculture, our focus areas include natural resources, rural development, and nutrition.
The job will be especially important as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has promised to increase his influence over the agriculture industry.
This article and heading have been updated with additional developments.
