On November 23,2024,President-elect Trump announced his intent to nominate Rollins to be Secretary of Agriculture. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 13,2025 by a vote of 72–28,and sworn in later that day. She is the second woman to hold the position,after Ann Veneman.
Rollins was raised on a farm in Glen Rose,Texas. She graduated Texas A&M University with a B.S. in agricultural development in 1994.[4] While at Texas A&M,Rollins was the first woman to be elected student body president. She also served as the speaker pro tempore of the Student Senate,the chair of the Texas A&M Judicial Court,as a Fish Camp counselor,and was Cotton Bowl Classic Queen.[5] In 2007,Rollins became the first female speaker at the College StationAggie Muster,which honors deceased Texas A&M former students.[5]
Rollins was the president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation,an Austin-based conservative think tank,from 2003 through 2018.[7] During her tenure at TPPF,the think tank grew from having a staff of three to a staff of 100.[8] In 2011,Texas Monthly named Rollins one of the 25 most powerful Texans.[9]
First Trump administration
Office of American Innovation
In February 2018,Rollins replaced Reed Cordish as Trump's assistant to the president for intergovernmental and technology initiatives and as a member of the Office of American Innovation.[10]
Rollins was influential in encouraging the passage of the First Step Act,legislation that reforms the nation's prison system and seeks to reduce recidivism. The First Step Act was signed into law by President Trump in December 2018.[11]
In her first public interview as acting director of the Domestic Policy Council,Rollins said she was focused on bringing "together all sides of the table to figure out how we can move forward together."[15] She said the U.S. "is a nation in mourning for the senseless death of George Floyd and the senseless loss of livelihood all over this country." Rollins struck an optimistic tone on the country's future,saying "this is America and we have been through difficult times before. We are a nation of doers and believers and dreamers,and we are a nation where if anybody tells us to step back,we step three feet forward."[15]
Amid nationwide protests and racial unrest,Rollins said "we need everyone to rise above the division and the divide and come together." She said the White House was "working through a list of solutions and possibilities,bipartisan. How do we come together? How do we use this as a unifying force for this country?"[16]
At an event announcing the signing of the new order,President Trump said his goal was to maintain law and order as well as justice and safety. He said "Reducing crime and raising standards are not opposite goals. They are not mutually exclusive. They work together." According to Politico,the order was crafted "in consultation with police officers,mayors,conservative African Americans,faith-based leaders and the families of victims."[17]
Post-first Trump administration
After Trump's defeat in the 2020 presidential election,Rollins and Larry Kudlow began forming a new nonprofit organization focused on continuing to promote Trump's public policies.[18] Rollins is the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute,founded in 2021 to plan and promote Trump's public policy agenda,as well as file election lawsuits in battleground states.[19][2] The organization is staffed with multiple current and former Trump Administration officials,including Secretary of EducationLinda McMahon.[2] Rollins is a leader of the Save America Coalition,launched in 2021 to oppose Joe Biden's $3.5 trillion economic proposal.[20]
Secretary of Agriculture (2025–present)
Rollins being sworn in by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas,2025
On March 2,2025,Rollins advocated a return to subsistence agriculture,suggesting that Americans should raise their own chickens and eggs in response to the H5N1 epidemic and consequent shortages and high prices.[29]
Personal life
Rollins is married to Mark;they have four children.[30]
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