Brooke Rollins, Secretary of Agriculture | All-In DC
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What is the background of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins?
Can you call me Brooke?
Brooke. I'm wearing a tie. There's a degree of formality. You just came from a cabinet meeting.
Food security is national security.
America is the largest ag exporter in the world. These farmers don't want all these checks. No one wants a handout.
Exactly, no one wants a handout.
$15 billion a year is spent on soda.
Taxpayer dollars will be spent on sugary drinks and junk food that's making our kids sick. Absolutely not. Does that mean we shut them down? No, of course not. Part of that was having 300 executive orders drafted. We did it all very quietly. No one really knew it was happening. We're not here for the people to serve us like some monarchy. We're here to serve the people.
I'm here in Washington DC at the US Department of Agriculture to interview the 33rd Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rawlins. We just had an amazing conversation talking about Brooke's background, the work she's doing at the USDA, the impact Doge is having, food stamps, the sentiment of the American farmer, tariff and trade, and everything in between. Really amazing conversation. Thank you to Secretary Rawlins for allowing me here today. I hope you'll enjoy the conversation. Besties. I think that was another epic discussion. People love the interviews. I could hear him talk for hours. Absolutely. We crushed your questions in a minute. We are giving people ground truth data to underwrite your own opinion. What do you guys think? That was fun.
Congrats on your first 100 days.
How does Brooke Rollins view food security as national security?
First 100 days. Yesterday was the 100th day of President Trump. I'm like 70 days. Right. But on President Trump yesterday, but today we celebrated together at the cabinet meeting. And we're about, I'm going back over to the White House right after we finish to do more celebrating.
Great. Well, we appreciate it. The USDA is an incredible agency. It was founded under Abraham Lincoln, I believe. It was established under Lincoln. I was talking to your staff. I think 60% of American workforce was in agriculture at the time. And it's a really critical agency for American prosperity and has been really important for food security and for the interests of America around the world as a trade partner, as the largest ag exporter in the world. The agency is incredible in terms of the scale, 29 sub-agencies, over 100,000 employees, 4,500 locations and an over $200 billion. annual budget. So really an incredible department to oversee. But before we get into the USDA and talk a little bit about some of the work you're doing and have been doing, maybe we can talk a little bit about your background. Did you grow up on a farm? How did you get into agriculture?
So yes, I grew up in a really small town in Texas. We were not farmers or ranchers per se in Texas. I grew up on a small farm. We raised animals, we baled hay, but my family, my mom's side of the family, my grandmother, they had a big row crop farm in Minnesota. So I spent every summer on that farm, corn, wheat, soy, pretty much everything you could consider and think of. So that was my row crop, which has actually been very, very helpful because coming from Texas and being more of a cattle raiser and being in cattle more, which is what I meant in Texas, it's really great to have sort of both sides of the house and I'm very appreciative to that. But yes, grew up in a very small town. We didn't have much. I was raised by a single mom, but we did have the land.
And on that land, we raised our animals. Again, we built our hay. I barrel raced every Friday night. I grew up in 4-H and FFA, went to Texas A&M on an agriculture scholarship, studied soil science and meats and feeds and feeding and really dove way into agriculture. Knowing I would go to law school, I really had a heart for understanding policy and the people, but thought I would really stay in ag for the rest of my life and Obviously, sometimes the path diverts and changes, but even over the 20 years since I last worked 100% in agriculture, which was for Rick Perry when he was first governor, then quickly moved into all the policy.
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