As tariffs loom, Brooke Rollins becomes Trump's agriculture secretary

President Donald Trump's close supporter, conservative lawyer Brooke Rollins, was approved as secretary of agriculture on Thursday. This comes amid concerns about labor shortages and tariffs affecting agricultural exports due to large deportation plans.

Rollins, who served as Trump's domestic policy head during the first administration, was confirmed by the Senate 72-28, as The Daily Caller reported.

Rollins will lead a department that oversees nearly all aspects of the food system, including farming and livestock standards, federal subsidies to farmers and agribusinesses, and school and public health nutrition standards.

After China imposed retaliatory tariffs on grains and disrupted international markets, the Department of Agriculture increased subsidies to farmers growing corn and soybeans, the nation's two major commodities. Food exports from the US lead the globe.

Confirmation

Rollins acknowledged during her Senate confirmation hearing that Trump's intentions to deport individuals who are in the country illegally could result in a labor shortage on the farm.

Particularly dependent on migrant labor are dairy operations and the producers of certain vegetables and commodities, such as apples.

However, Rollins stated that Americans are in favor of Trump's initiatives and that she would endeavor to assist the president while simultaneously supporting agriculture.

“The president’s vision of a secure border and a mass deportation at a scale that matters is something I support,” Rollins said.

On The New Secretary

Conservative legal activist and public policy analyst Rollins was president and CEO of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute, which formulated policy and built a network of personnel for the second Trump administration.

The government includes AFPI alumni such as Linda McMahon, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.

During Trump's inaugural tenure, Rollins served as the acting director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she was responsible for a portfolio that contained agriculture policy.

She also held the position of president at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think organization.