Trump taps loyalist Brooke Rollins for USDA chief in surprise pick
Rollins, who grew up on a farm, was nominated after weeks of intense jockeying.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump tapped Brooke Rollins as his Agriculture secretary, after weeks of intense internal fighting over the role, according to two people familiar with the transition conversations.
Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the White House, Rollins has co-founded and helmed the America First Policy Institute think tank, which played an influential role in the transition and has been referred to as Trump’s White House in waiting.
Rollins, who grew up on a farm, is a surprise pick for the role, with less experience in agriculture policy than those on Trump’s shortlist. Trump’s decision to tap her, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, came amid ongoing fighting over the role among his advisers, family members and powerful agriculture groups.
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