On Wednesday, November 13th, President-elect Trump selected four advisers from his presidential campaign team to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, including two of his long-time aides, one who played a key role in the campaign as the political director, and another who served as Trump’s spokesperson.
Trump announced that his long-time aide, Dan Scavino, will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff without specifying his exact responsibilities. Campaign political director James Blair will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislation, Politics, and Public Affairs, while Taylor Budowich will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications and Personnel. All of these individuals will hold the rank of presidential assistant.
Trump also officially announced that immigration hardliner Stephen Miller will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance confirmed this news on Monday, November 11th.
Blair previously served as the political director for Trump’s campaign and later held the same role for the Republican National Committee after Trump became the Republican presidential nominee. He was involved in Trump’s 2020 campaign in Florida and had worked as a senior aide to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Blair began working for Trump as a caddy at one of Trump’s golf courses. Throughout Trump’s campaign, he traveled with Trump across the country, often posting videos of Trump’s campaign travels online and providing behind-the-scenes insights on social media about the campaign activities.
Before joining Trump’s campaign team, Budowich worked for Trump’s super PAC “Make America Great Again!” and later served as Trump’s spokesperson after he left office, also working for Trump’s political action committee “Save America.”
Miller is one of Trump’s longest-serving aides, dating back to Trump’s first presidential campaign. He was a senior advisor during Trump’s first term and played a key role in many of Trump’s policy decisions, particularly on immigration issues.
In a statement, Trump said, “Dan, Stephen, James, and Taylor are the ‘best advisors’ who helped me win the election, and I know they will proudly serve the American people at the White House. They will continue to work hard in their new roles to Make America Great Again.”