Donald Trump on Saturday announced his choice for agriculture secretary — the final top post in his incoming Cabinet — of policy advocate Brook Rollins, a loyalist from his first term.
Ahead of their return to power in January, Republicans have moved quickly to name the inner circle that will lead key government agencies, ranging from TV hosts to U.S. senators and governors.
Rollins, 52, is the CEO of the America First Policy Institute, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Trump’s agenda, often described as his “White House in waiting.”
Many of Trump’s other nominees have close ties to the group.
With his Agriculture selection on Saturday, Trump now has someone for all top Cabinet positions.
Some lower-level positions have yet to be announced, such as the heads of the Small Business Administration and the Office of Science and Technology.
If Rollins is confirmed by the Senate, he will take charge of a massive agency that will have major impact on American citizens and corporations.
It employs approximately 100,000 people and oversees agricultural programs, research and trade, food security, animal and plant health, and the country’s forests.
It also manages the country’s food aid program, which has more than 40 million recipients.
Trump praised his nominee’s “commitment to supporting the American farmer, protecting American food self-sufficiency, and restoring American small towns that depend on agriculture.”
Rollins temporarily led Trump’s domestic policy council during his first term.
As a more traditional conservative, he is likely to clash with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choice for health secretary, who has been a vocal opponent of the corporate agriculture industry.
He has promised to improve American nutrition by banning ultra-processed foods and toxic chemicals.
Meanwhile, concerns have grown over the Trump team’s apparent refusal to sign key transition agreements in accordance with US law.
Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to the General Services Administration on Thursday asking for information on the status of the agreements.
“President-elect Trump has been undermining his administration’s ability to manage urgent national security threats, health and security threats, and serious conflicts of interest since the first day of his presidency,” Warren wrote.
He specifically said that the failure to sign the documents meant that “the FBI cannot begin critical background checks of candidates for high-level national security roles,” including those whom Trump has appointed to his Cabinet. And selected for other top posts.
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