Brooke Rollins was sworn in as the 33rd US secretary of agriculture by Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a private ceremony at the Supreme Court building. The US Senate confirmed Rollins by a vote of 72-to-28.

“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as the nation’s thirty-third Secretary of Agriculture — and a privilege beyond description to have the trust of President Donald J. Trump, and the opportunity to advance his agenda. I am thrilled to lead the United States Department of Agriculture and to serve the people of this country,” said Rollins. “Every day, I will fight for American farmers, ranchers, and the agriculture community. Together, we have an historic opportunity to revitalize rural America and to ensure that US Agriculture remains the best in the world for generations to come.”

Upon nominating Brooke Rollins in November, Trump said, “Brooke's 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.”

Rollins is originally from Glen Rose, Texas. Most recently, Rollins served as the founder, president, and chief executive officer of the America First Policy Institute. During Trump’s first administration, she was the director of the domestic policy council and assistant to the president for strategic initiatives in the White House. She also previously served as director of the office of American innovation. In these roles, she developed and managed the transformational domestic policy agenda of the Trump Administration.

Rollins graduated with honors from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development and was the first female to be elected student body president. After earning her Juris Doctor with honors at the University of Texas School of Law, she served as Gov. Rick Perry’s policy director before running the Texas Public Policy Foundation for 15 years. At TPPF, Rollins elevated a small policy organization to a national force and redefined the possibilities for a state-based think tank — setting the model and aspiration for AFPI.

US Meat Export Federation President and CEO Dan Halstrom issued the following statement regarding Rollins' confirmation: 

"USMEF congratulates Secretary Rollins on her confirmation and we look forward to working with her and the USDA team to expand global demand for US red meat. As evidenced by the strong bipartisan support her nomination received in the US Senate, Secretary Rollins is recognized as a champion for US agriculture and a powerful advocate for free market principles."

National Chicken Council President Harrison Kircher released the following statement in response to the confirmation:

“On behalf of America’s chicken producers, I want to congratulate Ms. Rollins on today’s well-deserved confirmation to be our next Secretary of Agriculture. I know she will be a strong advocate for our nation’s agricultural communities and will fight for America’s farmers and food producers.

“During the last four years, the Biden administration has imposed a non-scientific and costly regulatory agenda on the chicken industry. We are eager to get to work with Secretary Rollins and her team to advance policies that strengthen the chicken industry and more importantly, provide relief to American consumers who have been struggling with inflation and high food prices, including:

• Seeking assurances to protect US chicken exports should vaccination be contemplated as part of any government strategy to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu);
• Rescinding controversial Packers and Stockyards Act (PSA) contracting rules that were scrapped during President Trump’s first term and brought back from the dead under President Biden. The rules would empower trial attorneys to file and potentially win frivolous lawsuits against meat and poultry processors, impose billions of dollars in costs, and inflict massive litigation risk upon the chicken industry for no quantifiable benefit;
• Initiating new rulemaking that would provide certainty by allowing chicken processing facilities to operate above traditional line speed restrictions – which has been piloted and studied for more than two decades – thus increasing our global competitiveness; and
• Withdrawing ineffective and impossible-to-implement proposed regulations relating to Salmonella and poultry that would increase the price of chicken and cause millions of pounds of safe, wholesome product to be sent to landfills rather than dinner tables. All with no quantifiable impact on public health.”

National Cattleman’s Beef Association Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane also issued a statement congratulating Rollins on her confirmation:

“We are pleased with the bipartisan confirmation of Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of Agriculture. We know Secretary Rollins will prioritize passing a Farm Bill, protecting America’s cattle herd from the threat of foreign animal disease, and ensuring USDA is focused on supporting America’s cattle farmers and ranchers instead of covering them in red tape. NCBA looks forward to working with Secretary Rollins to passionately defend our rural communities and America’s cattle raising legacy.”