Brooke Rollins

Brooke Rollins is an American attorney and political official who serves as the 33rd United States secretary of agriculture, a post she assumed in February 2025. Born and raised on a family ranch in Glen Rose, Texas, she brings a lifelong connection to farming and rural life to a cabinet role that oversees the nation's food supply, farm programs, and rural development. Her career spans corporate law, state-level policy, think tank leadership, and high-profile White House posts, all grounded in a conservative philosophy of limited government and free markets.

As president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation from 2003 to 2018, Rollins transformed a small Austin think tank into a nationally influential force, shaping policy on school choice, tax reform, and criminal justice. She later served as director of the White House Office of American Innovation under President Donald Trump, where she pushed for government technology modernization and workforce development. In 2021, she co-founded the America First Policy Institute with Larry Kudlow, building a policy apparatus that helped plan for a second Trump term. Her confirmation as agriculture secretary earned bipartisan support, reflecting her reputation as a pragmatic conservative with deep policy expertise.

Rollins is known among supporters as a data-driven reformer who prioritizes rural communities and agricultural innovation. Critics sometimes point to her think tank's positions on climate deregulation, but her hands-on ranching background and policy chops give her unusual credibility in a department often led by career politicians or agribusiness executives. As of June 2026, she leads USDA response to agricultural market challenges, implements the 2025 Farm Bill reauthorization, expands rural broadband access, addresses drought conditions in the Western United States, and promotes trade agreements affecting agricultural exports.[edit]

Brooke Leslie was born on April 10, 1972, and grew up on her family's working ranch in Glen Rose, a town of about 2,500 people an hour southwest of Fort Worth. Her father Larry farmed and ranched; her mother Kay kept the home. She learned to raise livestock and compete in agricultural events through 4-H and Future Farmers of America, winning champion showman titles at the Somervell County Fair. At Glen Rose High School, she graduated as valedictorian in 1990.

She headed to Texas A&M University, where she joined the Corps of Cadets and became the first woman ever selected as a yell leader, a revered student tradition at the school. She earned a Bachelor of Science in agricultural development in 1994. After a summer internship in Governor George W. Bush's legal office, she went to the University of Texas School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctor in 1997. Her first job out of law school was as a corporate litigator at Haynes and Boone in Dallas, where she worked on commercial cases for two years before a call from the governor's office changed her trajectory.[edit]

In 1999, Rollins joined the administration of Texas Governor Rick Perry as deputy general counsel and ethics advisor. Perry soon tapped her as his policy director, where she helped craft conservative positions on education, tax reform, and healthcare. That state-level experience led to her biggest move yet: in 2003, she became president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank that at the time had a modest budget and a small staff. Over the next fifteen years, she grew TPPF into a $15 million operation with national reach, championing school vouchers, deregulation, and criminal justice reform.

Her leap to the national stage came in 2018 when President Trump appointed her director of the White House Office of American Innovation. There, she led initiatives to modernize federal technology, streamline regulations, and expand workforce training. In 2020, she also served as acting director of the U.S. Domestic Policy Council, coordinating domestic policy across agencies. After Trump left office, Rollins co-founded the America First Policy Institute with Larry Kudlow in April 2021, serving as its president and CEO. The institute became a key policy hub for Trump-aligned ideas. On November 23, 2024, Trump nominated her for secretary of agriculture, and the Senate confirmed her 72–28 on February 13, 2025.[edit]

Rollins projects a polished, professional image built around tailored suits, blazers, and conservative dresses in neutral tones. Media outlets often describe her as a policy wonk who leads with data rather than ideology. Conservative press casts her as a rising star in the Republican Party; progressive outlets sometimes criticize her think tank's deregulatory stances on climate and environment. On social media, she keeps the tone strictly professional, posting USDA announcements, policy statements, and agricultural data. She does not have a formal fandom name, but her following includes policy enthusiasts, agricultural stakeholders, and conservative activists who admire her blend of rural roots and Beltway experience. She has been recognized as one of Texas Monthly's "25 Most Powerful People in Texas" multiple times and listed in The Hill's "Top Lobbyists" during her TPPF years.[edit]

Brooke Rollins doesn't have a fandom in the traditional sense, there's no formal name for her supporters, no fan campaigns, no folklore passed among devotees. Her public presence is that of a sitting cabinet official, not a cultural figure, and her social media channels are professional communications tools rather than fan hubs. The closest thing to fan engagement is her political base, but even that isn't organized around her personally. Her opposition, meanwhile, is better documented: environmental groups have called her a climate denier, and a USDA employees' union sued her in 2026 over alleged religious coercion.

On the fame front, iFANN's Global Fame Engine has evaluated Brooke Rollins as of August 2026, but she currently does not hold a placement in the published rankings, neither the Global Top 1,000 nor any Top-100 scope list. That's not a slight; it's simply a reflection of her profile as a policy official rather than a celebrity. Her name recognition is tied to her role and her policy stances, not to the kind of cultural footprint that drives global fame metrics. In other words, she's known where it matters, in Washington, in agricultural circles, and among political watchers, but she hasn't crossed into the broader fame stratosphere that iFANN tracks.

That could change, of course. Cabinet secretaries often step into the spotlight during crises or controversies, and Rollins has had her share. But for now, her fame is niche and professional, not global and cultural. The iFANN evaluation reflects that reality, and it's an honest one.[edit]

Brooke Rollins holds a black belt in Taekwondo, a discipline she took up in her twenties, and she's completed multiple marathons, including the Boston Marathon. She's an avid hunter and outdoorswoman who still works the family ranch when she can. Her honors include induction into the Texas A&M University Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor, the National 4-H Council Distinguished Service Award, the Texas A&M University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Champion of Freedom Award, and the CPAC 'Friend of the Family' Award. She stands 5 feet 6 inches tall.

In her public career, a few moments have stood out. Her Senate confirmation on February 13, 2025, passed by a 72–28 vote, marking a clear mandate. Then, during an October 2025 press conference, she told America, 'Your government is failing you right now', a blunt statement that Democrats on the Agriculture Committee seized upon, making it a defining quote of her tenure. More recently, in May 2026, a USDA employees' union sued her, accusing her of religious coercion, a legal battle that has drawn national attention. These aren't legends in the cultural sense, but they are the stories that people in agricultural and political circles retell when her name comes up.[edit]

Rollins married Doug Rollins in 1996 after the two met as students at Texas A&M University. He works in the oil and gas industry. Together they have four children, and the family maintains a working ranch in Glen Rose, Texas, where they raise cattle and hay. Rollins has one sister and one brother. She has described her Christian faith as central to her approach to public service. The family's ranch life keeps her connected to the agricultural communities she now serves as secretary. Her grandfather was a cotton farmer who lost his farm during the 1980s farm crisis, a loss she has said drives her commitment to agricultural policy.[edit]

Rollins worked closely with former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who gave her first government role and later served alongside her in the Trump administration. She co-founded the America First Policy Institute with Larry Kudlow. Her nomination as agriculture secretary was supported by Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. She also worked with former Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue during the transition.[edit]

Rollins married Doug Rollins in 1996 after the two met as students at Texas A&M University. He works in the oil and gas industry. The couple has four children together and maintains a working ranch in Glen Rose, Texas. There are no public reports of separation, divorce, or other relationships. As of 2026, they remain married.[edit]

iFANN's editorial analysis currently estimates Brooke Rollins' net worth at $6 million. This figure is based on her known income streams and assets, though it's important to note that exact figures are hard to pin down for public officials. Her primary income as Secretary of Agriculture is a salary of roughly $221,400 per year. Before that, she earned substantial sums in the think tank world: as president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, she pulled in an estimated $400,000–$500,000 annually, and at the America First Policy Institute, her salary was around $500,000–$600,000 per year. Earlier in her career, she made $80,000–$120,000 as a corporate attorney at Haynes and Boone, and her White House roles paid approximately $180,000–$200,000 per year.

On the asset side, she and her husband own a ranch in Glen Rose, Texas, valued at roughly $1–2 million, and they have retirement accounts and other investments, though specifics aren't public. The $6 million estimate reflects a combination of these earnings and assets, and it's in line with the range of $3–8 million that other sources have suggested.[edit]

Rollins has been recognized primarily in policy and public service spheres. She received the Texas A&M University Distinguished Alumnus Award, the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Champion of Freedom Award, and the CPAC Friend of the Family Award. She is also a recipient of the National 4-H Council Distinguished Service Award.[edit]