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You’ve probably seen the name Brooke Rollins popping up in the news more and more lately, especially since the 2024 election cycle shifted the entire landscape of Washington. But if you’re trying to figure out exactly who she is, you’ll find that the answer depends entirely on who you ask. To some, she’s the quintessential "Texas powerhouse" who single-handedly turned a small-town think tank into a national juggernaut. To others, she’s the quiet architect of the modern "America First" movement.
Right now, she's sitting in one of the most consequential seats in the federal government as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
But here’s the thing: calling her just a "politician" or an "administrator" misses the mark. Honestly, she’s a strategist who has spent decades playing the long game. From her roots in a small Texas town called Glen Rose to the West Wing of the White House, Rollins has a knack for being in the room where the biggest decisions happen.
The "Aggie" Roots and the First Big Break
Brooke Rollins didn't just fall into politics. She kinda clawed her way in, starting at Texas A&M University. If you know anything about Texas culture, you know that being an "Aggie" is a lifestyle, not just a degree. While she was there, she made history as the first woman ever elected as student body president. That’s not a small feat at a school with traditions as deep as A&M’s.
She wasn't just doing it for the resume, either. She graduated with a degree in agricultural development, which—fast forward to 2026—makes her current role as head of the USDA feel like a full-circle moment.
After getting her law degree from the University of Texas (yes, she’s a rare breed who navigated both rival schools), she caught the eye of Rick Perry. At the time, Perry was the Governor of Texas and a rising star in the GOP. Rollins became his policy director. This was her training ground. She learned how to move the needle on heavy-duty issues like tort reform and taxes before she was even thirty.
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Turning the Texas Public Policy Foundation Into a Giant
If there is one thing people consistently get wrong about Brooke Rollins, it's the idea that she’s just a "Trump loyalist." Before she ever set foot in D.C., she spent 15 years as the CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF).
When she took over, TPPF was basically a handful of people in a small office. By the time she left, it was a massive operation with nearly 100 employees and enough influence to dictate the legislative agenda in Austin. She didn't just write papers; she built a machine. It was at TPPF where she championed things like criminal justice reform—specifically the First Step Act—which later became a centerpiece of her work in the White House.
The White House Years: The Innovation Whisperer
In 2018, the Trump administration came calling. They didn't just want a policy wonk; they wanted someone who knew how to build organizations. Rollins started in the Office of American Innovation.
It’s a bit of a weird title, right? Basically, she was tasked with finding ways to make the federal government run more like a business. She worked closely with Jared Kushner and eventually rose to become the Director of the Domestic Policy Council.
While she was there, she wasn't always the loudest person in the room. She was more of a "closer." She was instrumental in the First Step Act, which was a surprisingly bipartisan win in a very polarized era. It focused on reducing recidivism and fixing some of the "tough on crime" sentencing laws from the 90s.
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The Birth of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI)
When the first Trump administration ended in 2021, most people thought the "America First" agenda would just fade away or stay confined to Mar-a-Lago. Rollins had other plans. She co-founded the America First Policy Institute.
Think of AFPI as a "White House in waiting."
While others were arguing on cable news, Rollins was hiring hundreds of former administration officials to draft executive orders and policy papers for 2025 and beyond. It was essentially the intellectual engine for the second term. In fact, tax records from late 2025 showed that AFPI’s revenue spiked to over $50 million under her leadership. People were betting big on her vision.
Who is Brooke Rollins in 2026?
Today, she’s the Secretary of Agriculture. It’s a job that sounds like it’s about tractors and corn—and it is—but it’s also about much more. As Secretary, Rollins oversees:
- The SNAP program (food stamps), which accounts for a massive chunk of the USDA budget.
- International trade and how American farmers compete with China.
- Rural development, specifically bringing high-speed internet to parts of the country that are still stuck in the 90s.
She’s also been a vocal critic of what she calls "climate change hysteria," arguing that environmental regulations shouldn't come at the expense of American manufacturing or farming. It’s a position that has made her a hero to the "Farmers First" crowd and a villain to environmental groups like the League of Conservation Voters.
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The Controversy: The "Golden Parachute" and Policy Criticism
It hasn't all been smooth sailing. In late 2025, reports surfaced that Rollins received a $300,000 bonus from AFPI right before she transitioned back into government. Critics called it a "golden parachute" and questioned the ethics of a non-profit giving such a large payout to someone about to take a cabinet position.
On the policy side, her critics point to her lack of "dirt-under-the-fingernails" farming experience. While she grew up in an agricultural community and showed cattle in 4-H, she spent most of her adult life as a lawyer and a think-tank executive. There’s a lingering debate about whether she understands the day-to-day struggle of a family farm or if she’s just applying big-picture conservative ideology to a complex industry.
Why This Matters to You
So, why should you care who Brooke Rollins is? Because the USDA is one of those "stealth agencies" that touches your life every single day.
When you go to the grocery store and see the price of eggs, that’s influenced by USDA policy. When a rural town gets a federal grant for a new water system, that’s the USDA. When the U.S. enters a trade war that affects exports, the USDA is at the center of the storm.
Rollins isn't just a bureaucrat. She’s a true believer in a very specific vision for America—one that prioritizes domestic production, slashes federal regulations (like the Waters of the United States rule), and focuses on rural "prosperity" over global environmental pacts.
Actionable Insights: Navigating the Rollins Era
If you’re a farmer, a business owner, or just a concerned citizen, here is what you need to keep an eye on regarding Brooke Rollins' leadership:
- Watch the Farm Bill: The 2025-2026 legislative cycle is huge for the Farm Bill. Rollins is pushing for more "work requirements" in nutrition programs and fewer "green" strings attached to farming subsidies.
- Rural Broadband: If you live in a rural area, keep tabs on the USDA’s "ReConnect" program. Rollins has signaled that expanding rural infrastructure is a top priority for her department.
- Deregulation: Expect a massive rollback of EPA and USDA joint regulations. If you’ve been struggling with land-use restrictions, the next two years will likely see a significant loosening of those rules.
Brooke Rollins is a name that’s going to be around for a long time. Whether she’s at the USDA or eventually eyeing a run for office in Texas, she has become the bridge between the old-school GOP policy world and the modern America First movement. She’s the person who turns "Make America Great Again" into actual, boring, 500-page policy documents. And in Washington, that’s where the real power lies.