Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins batted away suggestions of introducing a four-day work week as she painted a selflessly industrious image of the U.S. labor force.
Rollins, 53, appeared on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing with Peter Doocy, and was faced with an article from Fortune claiming the country is the “closest we’ve ever been to a permanent shorter work week,” due to the ongoing disruptions caused by 79-year-old President Donald Trump’s unauthorized war in Iran.
Rollins giggled in response, before stating: “Well, I—this is the first I’m hearing of it. But, Peter, I have to say, this is America. We are workers. We believe in the dignity of work. It is a biblical foundation."
The Texas native praised Trump—who has golfed his way through the war he started with Iran—as the ultimate symbol of the model American workhorse.
“I, under no circumstances, can imagine President Trump—the ultimate worker, right, the seven-day-a-week worker, making sure that, again, we’ve got America, we’re returning the American dream to all corners of our country,“ said Rollins.
Trump has spent 101 of the 427 days of his second presidency on the putting green, according to the Trump golf tracker.
“I can’t imagine a scenario where we say, ’Oh, everyone just stay home a couple more days, we’re only going to work a couple days,’” continued Rollins, who has an estimated net worth of $15 million and whose husband Mark is the president of major oil firms Hillwood Energy and HKN Energy.
Rollins then suggested that the U.S. economy had never been better for workers and that the American dream was alive and well.
“Listen, this economy, the infrastructure that’s being built, the recalibration of the tariff regime putting America first over the last year, the 18 new trade deals, the reshoring of our manufacturing, the support of our farmers in rural America, again, is unprecedented,” she said.
Rollins concluded: “And what that means is more work and better work and higher paid work and the opportunity for all Americans to really have a shot at the American dream. The American dream does not include a four-day work week—from my perspective, at least."
While Rollins described an idyll of American worker bees rushing to carry out plentiful and fulfilling labor, data released this year doesn’t quite match that picture of the country. First, polling of the American workforce indicates that roughly 80 percent support a four-day work week.
Then there’s the matter of that “unprecedented economy” Rollins spoke of. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' February report showed that the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent in January.
Overall figures show the U.S. economy having fewer jobs than in April 2025, while the labor force participation rate has plunged to 62 percent, its lowest level since November 2021.
Aside from a dire labor report, faith in the economy itself has also taken a hit amid war with Iran and skyrocketing oil prices. Friday’s stock market saw the Dow drop roughly 900 points, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling by 1.6 percent each.
The American public’s perception of Trump’s handling of the economy is dismal, according to polling. As oil prices continue to soar due to Trump’s war, many experts predict the Republican Party will suffer in this year’s midterm elections.
“I am saying this loud and proud: You cannot win an election when you are the incumbent party and the top issue is the cost of living, and you’re the president of the United States, and your net approval rating on it is 41 points underwater,” CNN’s date guru, Harry Enten, said earlier this month.
