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You probably know her now as the woman running the USDA. But before she was the 33rd U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins was basically the architect of the "America First" movement in waiting. Honestly, it's wild how many people think she just appeared out of nowhere to take over the Department of Agriculture in early 2025.
She didn't.
If you look at Brooke Rollins previous office—or rather, the string of offices she held before the Senate confirmed her 72–28—you see a very specific pattern of power. Most recently, she was the President and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). This wasn't just another boring DC think tank. It was essentially a "shadow" administration. While the Biden administration was in the White House, Rollins was in a sleek office in Washington, co-founding AFPI with Larry Kudlow in 2021 to keep the Trump policy engine humming.
The AFPI Era: Building the Second Term
At AFPI, Rollins wasn't just writing white papers. She was building a massive network. The goal was simple: make sure that if Donald Trump ever came back, he wouldn't have to spend months figuring out what to do. He'd have the plans ready on day one.
Under her leadership, AFPI grew at a breakneck pace. We’re talking about a group that ended up being one of the most influential forces in conservative politics. It wasn't just about economic policy or election lawsuits in battleground states. It was about personnel. They were vetting people. They were training them. When she left that office in March 2025 to officially take the reins at the USDA, she wasn't just bringing her luggage; she was bringing the blueprint.
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Life in the West Wing: 2018 to 2021
Before the think tank life, Rollins was deep in the actual White House. She wore a few different hats during the first Trump administration. First, she was the Director of the Office of American Innovation. She worked right alongside Jared Kushner there.
Then, things got even bigger.
By May 2020, she became the Acting Director of the Domestic Policy Council (DPC). Think about the timing. She took over the DPC right as the country was hitting the peak of the pandemic and the unrest following the murder of George Floyd. She actually went on the record saying she wanted the White House to find "bipartisan solutions" to address that national tension. It’s a side of her policy work that people often forget because she’s so associated with the hard-right "America First" brand.
- She was a driving force behind the First Step Act.
- This was a massive, bipartisan criminal justice reform bill signed in 2018.
- She managed the "strategic initiatives" portfolio, which is basically code for "whatever high-level project the President cares about this week."
The Texas Power Player (2003–2018)
To understand why she ended up in DC at all, you have to look at Austin. For 15 years, Rollins ran the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF). When she started in 2003, it was a tiny shop with three employees. By the time she left in 2018, it had 100 people and was arguably the most powerful state-based think tank in the country.
Texas Monthly once called her one of the 25 most powerful people in Texas. That’s not hyperbole. She had the ear of Governor Rick Perry—for whom she also served as policy director and ethics advisor before the TPPF gig.
It’s kind of ironic, though. Back at the TPPF, the group actually advocated for ending agricultural subsidies. Now, as Secretary of Agriculture, she’s the one in charge of those very subsidies. It shows how much the political "America First" movement shifted the priorities of traditional Texas conservatives.
Why This Track Record Matters Now
Looking at Brooke Rollins previous office history tells you exactly how she’s going to run the USDA. She isn't a traditional "ag person" in the sense of being a career bureaucrat, even though she grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas, and was the first female student body president at Texas A&M.
She’s an institutional builder.
She takes small or "outsider" organizations and turns them into well-oiled machines. Whether it was the TPPF in Austin or AFPI in DC, she specializes in creating infrastructure for conservative ideas. At the USDA, she’s already started moving the needle on things like the "roadless rule" in national forests and tackling the bird flu outbreak with a very "hands-on" approach.
Key Takeaways from Her Career Path
- Ag Roots are Real: She was a state FFA officer and raised show cattle. This isn't just a talking point; it's her actual background before the law degree.
- Bipartisan Flashes: Despite her "MAGA" credentials, her work on the First Step Act shows she can, and will, work across the aisle when the policy goal is big enough.
- Efficiency Focus: Every office she has run has expanded in size and influence. Expect the USDA to become much more "active" in policy areas that used to be seen as secondary.
If you're following her current tenure, keep an eye on how she handles the Farm Bill. Given her history at the TPPF and AFPI, she’s likely to prioritize "deregulation" over traditional subsidy structures, even if that ruffles some feathers in the industry.
To stay ahead of how these changes might affect your sector, you should monitor the official USDA press releases for new political appointments, as Rollins has been rapidly filling the department with AFPI alumni to ensure her "America First" agenda is implemented without internal friction.