Mike Johanns says Trump nominee boasts the ag and policy experience needed to succeed as secretary of agriculture.
Former Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns had not met Brooke Rollins until recently. When he learned President-elect Trump nominated her for agriculture secretary, he made a congratulatory call. He left that conversation convinced Trump made an impressive pick.
“I just think she’s got the right blend of agriculture and policy experience,” Johanns says about Rollins. “Most importantly, if I were to say one thing that stands out to me, she’s got the confidence of President Trump and that’s huge.”
He notes Rollins has a longstanding relationship with Trump, serving as domestic policy director and other roles during his first term. Rollins went on to run a think tank promoting Trump policies. Johanns says it’s hard to quantify how valuable working together can be.
When he assumed the top USDA job in 2005, Johanns and then President George W. Bush knew each other from their time as governors of Texas and Nebraska. However, they had never worked closely together. That presented something of a learning curve as he acclimated to the executive branch. Since Trump and Rollins already have an established working relationship, Johanns believes her voice on ag-related issues will be heard from day one.
The former ag secretary likes the fact Rollins grew up on a small Texas farm and has extended family members who farm in Minnesota. This, he says, gives Rollins experience in Southern and Midwestern farming. He’s also impressed Rollins earned an agriculture development degree at Texas A&M and served as the university’s first female student body president.
According to Johanns, every time there’s White House discussion about issues affecting agriculture, the room is going to turn to Rollins for input. He anticipates her having a strong voice on rural issues. In fact, he “can’t imagine” there being a person better positioned to advocate for agriculture, especially considering her ties to Trump.
“I didn’t have to spend 20 minutes talking to her about what agriculture means to America. She knows that,” Johanns says.
Johanns, who currently works as chairman of agriculture at alliant, says President Biden has been "weak" on trade. According to USDA data, 2024 will go down as the year with the largest agricultural trade deficit. Johanns expects the Trump administration to improve that. He says the country has already gotten a glimpse of how Trump will approach trade in his first term, calling him a “giant of a friend” for American agriculture and rural America in general.
“He wanted to get some things straightened out with China that had ramifications on the farm and ranch, so he and (former Ag Secretary) Sonny Perdue designed the program to do what they could to help farmers and it made a huge difference,” Johanns says.
He’s also hopeful Trump will streamline regulations he believes hinder farmers, and address illegal immigration, which he contends is “completely out of control.” While he admits those issues will be tough to tackle, Johanns praises Trump for not shying away from tough issues.
He also believes farmers understand there will be consequences as new policies are negotiated. Still, Johanns is confident they will remain firmly behind Trump and his new agriculture secretary.
“I think the two of them will make a great team in terms of how we make sure there is prosperity in rural America,” Johanns says.
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