WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to pick Brooke Rollins (NYSE:), president of the America First Policy Institute, as agriculture secretary, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
If confirmed, Rollins would lead a 100,000-person agency with offices in every county nationwide, whose remit includes agriculture and nutrition programs, forestry, mortgage and farm lending, food security, rural development, agricultural research, trade and more. It had a budget of $437.2 billion in 2024.
Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The candidate’s agenda would have implications for the diets and pocketbooks of Americans, both urban and rural. Department of Agriculture officials and staff negotiate trade deals, guide dietary recommendations, inspect meat, fight wildfires and support rural broadband, among other activities.
The America First Policy Institute is a right-wing think tank whose staff has worked closely with the Trump campaign to help shape the policies of his incoming administration. He chaired the Domestic Policy Council during Trump’s first term.
If confirmed, Rollins would advise the administration on how and whether to implement clean fuel tax credits for biofuels at a time when the sector hopes to grow through sustainable aviation fuel production.
The candidate would also guide next year’s renegotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, in the shadow of disputes over Mexico’s attempt to ban imports of genetically modified corn and Canada’s dairy import quotas.
Trump has said he again plans to institute sweeping tariffs that are likely to hit the agricultural sector.
He was considering offering the job to former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a staunch ally whom he tapped to co-chair his inaugural committee, CNN reported Friday.