President-elect Donald Trump has decided to bring his barefisted advisor Steven Cheung to the White House as his communications director.
Cheung, who made his bones in communications at the Ultimate Fighting Championship, previously served in the White House during Trump’s first term as director of strategic response.
He was responsible for delivering tart responses to the press as comms director for the Trump campaign, which modelled the candidate in taking a sledgehammer to political rivals.
As in his initial run, Trump fed off intense media coverage, whether good or bad, even while publicly attacking the media as ‘fake news’ and calling it an ‘enemy of the people’ during his 2024 campaign rallies.
When controversies arose, Cheung delivered a series of responses during the campaign, as when he called Kamala Harris ‘despicable.’
That came just days before the election after Harris cited a report claiming Trump had said something admiring about Hitler. Cheung shot back with a statement calling her a ‘stone-cold loser who is increasingly desperate because she is flailing, and her campaign is in shambles.’
‘That is why she continues to peddle outright lies and falsehoods that are easily disproven. The fact is that Kamala’s dangerous rhetoric is directly to blame for the multiple assassination attempts against President Trump and she continues to stoke the flames of violence all in the name of politics. She is despicable and her grotesque behavior proves she is wholly unfit for office.’
Steven Cheung (third from right, with Trump advisor Boris Epshteyn) is rejoining the White House as Communications Director
When news broke that Iran had hacked his campaign, Cheung issued a statement blaming Harris. ‘This is the continuation of election interference by Kamala Harris and Democrats who will stop at nothing, including emboldening China and Iran attacking critical American infrastructure, to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House,’ he said.
Often his comments channeled his boss, as when Judge Tanya Chutkan issued an order in his January 6 case.
‘Radical Democrats are hell-bent on interfering in the presidential election on behalf of Lyin’ Kamala Harris. With just over two weeks until Election Day, President Trump is dominating this race and Crazed Liberals throughout the Deep State are freaking out,’ he said. He called the case ‘a sham and a partisan, Unconstitutional Witch Hunt that should be dismissed entirely—as should ALL of the remaining Democrat hoaxes.’
Trump’s first White House had strained relations with the press as the president sparred with correspondents he considered antagonists. His press shop yanked credentials from some reporters, and his last press secretary, Stephanie Grisham, never held a press briefing.
(She later broke with Trump and ended up endorsing Harris at the Democratic Convention in Chicago).
His appointment comes after a flurry of activity by Trump, who is nominating Matt Gaetz to be attorney general and said Thursday he will nominate North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to be Interior secretary.
Trump praised Cheung, who hails from Sacremento, in a statement where he also announced Sergio Gor would head the presidential personnel office.
‘Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted Advisors since my first Presidential Campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion America First principles throughout my First Term, all the way to our Historic Victory in 2024,’ Trump said.
‘I am thrilled to have them join my White House as we, Make America Great Again!’
Another campaign press aide, Taylor Budowich, is joining the White House as deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel.
Trump still hasn’t announced who will take on the high profile role of press secretary, although Trump lawyer Alina Habba issued a public statement taking herself out of consideration.