On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he has appointed two of his campaign spokespeople to important communication roles in his new administration.
Steven Cheung, the campaign spokesman, will be the White House communications director. As we previously reported, Karoline Leavitt, the national press secretary, will serve as the White House press secretary.
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Cheung will also take on the role of assistant to the president. In Trump’s first term, he worked as the director of strategic response. Known for his strong defense of Trump, Cheung has mostly operated behind the scenes. However, he is quite active on social media, where he passionately supports his boss.
Cheung steps into a role that experienced significant turnover during Trump’s first term, with six different individuals holding the position over seven separate terms, none of which lasted more than a year.
Anthony Scaramucci is particularly notable for serving just 11 days in this role during Trump’s first term. Both he and another former White House communications director, Stephanie Grisham, have since distanced themselves from Trump.
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Before joining Trump’s first campaign, Cheung was a spokesman for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The connection between the UFC and the president-elect is strong; Trump is often seen at UFC events, and Dana White, the UFC President and CEO, is a longtime friend of Trump who spoke at the Republican National Convention this summer.
Cheung was responsible for managing Trump’s communications during various significant events in the campaign, including a controversial situation at Arlington National Cemetery. In that incident, a cemetery worker reportedly clashed with members of Trump’s campaign, leading to a reprimand from the Army. Although Cheung promised to share video evidence of this encounter, he ultimately did not follow through.
Leavitt is currently serving as the spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition team. Throughout the campaign, she consistently defended Trump and has recently been busy announcing staff and Cabinet selections for the president-elect’s upcoming administration, many of which have stirred controversy.
Leavitt is familiar with the White House, having previously worked as an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first term. She will be entering a communications team known for its high turnover and unconventional approach to the press.
