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Steven Cheung (political advisor)

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Steven Cheung
Cheung in 2024
White House Communications Director
Designate
Assuming office
January 20, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
SucceedingBen LaBolt
Personal details
Born
Huyen Cheung

(1982-06-23) June 23, 1982 (age 42)
Sacramento, California, U.S
Political partyRepublican
EducationCalifornia State University, Sacramento (BA)

Huyen "Steven" Cheung (Chinese: 張振𤋮，born June 23, 1982) is an American political advisor serving as President-elect Donald Trump's campaign spokesman in the 2024 United States presidential election.[1][2] He previously worked in Trump's 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He also worked in communications for the sports organization Ultimate Fighting Championship based in Las Vegas, Nevada.[3][4]

In November 2024, he was named White House Communications Director for the incoming Donald Trump administration.[5]

Early life

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Cheung was born in Sacramento, California, to Chinese parents who had immigrated to the U.S. and was raised in Sacramento.[6][7] He was a high school football player.[8] He attended California State University, Sacramento, majoring in computer science and political science.[6]

Career

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Political campaigns and UFC

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As a college student in 2003, Cheung became an intern in then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's communications and speechwriting office in California.[9][10] He moved to Washington, D.C. in 2008 to work on John McCain's presidential campaign.[11][12] Cheung has served on the campaigns of Steve Poizner for California governor, Sharron Angle for U.S. Senate, and Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst for U.S. Senate.[13] In 2013, Cheung transitioned into a career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked as "a director of communications for public affairs at the UFC".[14] He was involved in the UFC practice of banning reporters critical of the organization from live events.[15]

Trump 2016 campaign and transition

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Before then-candidate Donald Trump was nominated as the Republican presidential nominee at the Republican National Convention in 2016, Cheung left his job at the UFC and joined the Trump campaign's communications and press team as Director of Rapid Response.[16][3] His duties included "keeping the campaign up to date on breaking news and pushing back on false or unbalanced reporting" according to a press release.[17]

Cheung was involved[how?] in a statement disavowing support from the Ku Klux Klan and a white supremacist newspaper, who endorsed Trump's campaign. He said, "Mr. Trump and the campaign denounces hate in any form. This publication is repulsive and their views do not represent the tens of millions of Americans who are uniting behind our campaign."[18]

After Trump's victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Cheung was named as an advisor to the presidential transition team.[19][20][21] According to media reports, he was at one point considered for the role of White House Press Secretary.[22] That job ultimately went to Sean Spicer.[23]

Trump White House

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Cheung was named as Special Assistant to the President and Assistant Communications Director at the White House on January 19, 2017, one day prior to Trump's inauguration.[2] He was part of a team tasked with helping nominate and confirm Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court. Gorsuch was eventually confirmed to the Supreme Court by the United States Senate by a 54–45 vote.[24] Shortly after Gorsuch's confirmation, Cheung assumed a different position at the White House.[25]

On August 16, 2017, Cheung was appointed as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Response.[26] He then worked on the passage of Trump's tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[27] The bill successfully passed Congress and Trump signed it into law on December 22, 2017.[28]

According to the book Sinking in the Swamp: How Trump's Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington, Cheung, along with three others, were referred to as "the killers" in the White House by Jared Kushner and Stephen Bannon. They were considered by Bannon to be "innovative and action oriented".[29]

On June 11, 2018, Politico reported Cheung left the White House,[7] amid a contentious period with Chief of Staff John F. Kelly making changes to Trump's White House communications staff. Amid leaks and infighting, Kelly overhauled the communications team, which led to additional departures.[24] It was later revealed that Cheung's annual White House salary was $131,000.[30] Cheung later appeared in a contentious interview with CNN on June 28, 2018, where critics accused him of politicizing the confirmation process of the United States Supreme Court.[31]

Trump 2020 campaign

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Politico reported that President Trump's 2020 re-election campaign retained the services of the firm Solgence, which is owned and operated by Cheung.[32] As part of the 2020 campaign, Cheung worked on putting together the Republican National Convention in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.[33]

After the 2020 US presidential election, in which Trump was defeated by Joe Biden, Cheung was involved in the Trump campaign's efforts to overturn the election. Despite Trump's claims, according to experts, there has been no evidence of election fraud.[34][35][36][37]

Post-Trump presidency

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Cheung was named the spokesman of the Trump 2024 presidential campaign. After Trump was criticized in October 2023 for his statement that undocumented immigrants were "poisoning the blood of our country," echoing language of white supremacists and Adolf Hitler, Cheung responded:

That's a normal phrase that is used in everyday life – in books, television, movies, and in news articles. For anyone to think that is racist or xenophobic is living in an alternate reality consumed with non-sensical [sic] outrage.[38]

After Trump was criticized in November 2023 for using language of fascist dictators by referring to his political opponents as "vermin", Cheung said:

Those who try to make that ridiculous assertion are clearly snowflakes grasping for anything because they are suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome and their sad, miserable existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House.[39]

Cheung was a senior advisor on the 2022 U.S. Senate campaign of former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, who resigned amid allegations of sexual assault and campaign finance impropriety.[40][41]

Axios reported that Cheung joined as senior advisor to reality star Caitlyn Jenner's unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in California during the 2021 recall election.[10]

Cheung also served as an advisor and spokesperson for former congressman Jim Renacci's 2022 campaign for Ohio governor.[42]

Media outlets reported in 2022 that Cheung began advising cryptocurrency entrepreneur and philanthropist Brock Pierce, a former child star linked to Jeffrey Epstein and the DEN collapse & financial & sex scandal.[43][44]

Arlington National Cemetery incident

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On August 27, 2024, an incident occurred at Arlington National Cemetery in which two Trump staffers, Justin Caporale and Michel Picard, shoved a cemetery employee who was trying to stop the Trump team from photographing and video recording a campaign promotion in a heavily restricted area of the cemetery known as Section 60, a burial site that is primarily reserved for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A federal law prohibits the use of U.S. military facilities, cemeteries in particular, for political campaigns.

Cheung baselessly asserted the woman was "suffering from a mental health episode," which military officials said was false. He alleged the cemetery employee "initiated physical contact that was unwarranted and unnecessary" and said the campaign would release video to support its account, which it never did. The cemetery employee filed an incident report with military officials, but declined to press charges, fearing retribution from Trump supporters. Cheung characterized that concern as "ridiculous and sounds like someone who has Trump Derangement Syndrome". The Trump campaign posted a TikTok video of the visit the next day, during which Trump is heard criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.[45][46][47][48][49]

MAGA Inc.

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As of 2023, Cheung was the communications director of Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC.[50][51][52][53][54][55][56]

References

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  1. ^ Vigdor, Neil (June 18, 2023). "In Nevada, DeSantis Sells Republicans on Ending 'Culture of Losing'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "President-Elect Donald J. Trump Announces Second Wave of Additional White House Staff". The American Presidency Project (Press release). Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Flood, Brian (July 11, 2016). "Donald Trump Hires UFC Executive as He Gears Up for Fight Against Hillary Clinton". Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  4. ^ Durkee, Alison. "Who Is Steven Cheung? What To Know About Trump's Incoming Communications Director". Forbes. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
  5. ^ McGraw, Meridith; Bade, Rachael (November 15, 2024). "Trump to tap campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung as communications director". politico.com.
  6. ^ a b Sokolove, Michael. "How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight". Mother Jones. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Meet Donald Trump's 'sumo wrestler' campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung". South China Morning Post. April 26, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  8. ^ Sokolove, Michael. "How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight". Mother Jones. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  9. ^ "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Steven Cheung, senior communications adviser for the Trump reelect". Politico. June 23, 2020. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Markay, Lachlan; Treene, Alayna; Swan, Jonathan (April 23, 2021). "Caitlyn Jenner files paperwork to run for governor of California". Axios. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  11. ^ Kanski, Alison (July 11, 2016). "Trump campaign bulks up comms team with Bryan Lanza and Steven Cheung". prweek.com. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  12. ^ Sokolove, Michael. "How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight". Mother Jones. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "Ted Cruz says David Dewhurst's camp called him a Chinese Communist". Politico. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  14. ^ "Donald Trump Hires UFC Press Agent to Be His New "Rapid Response" Guy". vice.com. July 12, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  15. ^ "Donald Trump has hired a former UFC executive for presidential campaign". SportsJOE.ie. July 12, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  16. ^ "Donald Trump hires former UFC staffer to presidential campaign". For The Win. July 11, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  17. ^ "Trump Campaign Announces Expansion of Communications Team". The American Presidency Project (Press release). Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  18. ^ "Ku Klux Klan newspaper declares support for Trump". Reuters. November 2, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  19. ^ "Trump adds vice chairs to transition team, including several women". Politico. November 29, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  20. ^ "President-Elect Donald J. Trump Announces New Vice Chairs and Executive Committee Members Serving on Presidential Transition Team". The American Presidency Project (Press release). Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  21. ^ Brown, Heath (December 12, 2016). "Focus on communications, not policy, sets Trump transition apart". The Hill. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  22. ^ "White House press briefings could be totally bonkers under Donald Trump". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  23. ^ "Trump names Sean Spicer press secretary, announces other senior members of his press team". CNBC. December 22, 2016. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  24. ^ a b Karni, Annie (June 11, 2018). "White House aide Steven Cheung leaves communications staff". Politico. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  25. ^ Estepa, Jessica. "Hope Hicks is officially the White House communications director". USA Today. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  26. ^ "Political power plays". Axios. September 13, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  27. ^ Sanchez, Luis (June 11, 2018). "White House communications aide Steven Cheung leaves position: report". The Hill. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  28. ^ "Here's When the GOP Tax Reform Bill Will Take Effect". Fortune. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  29. ^ Markay, Lachlan; Suebsaeng, Asawin (2020). Sinking in the Swamp: How Trump's Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington. Penguin. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-9848-7856-4.
  30. ^ Bindrim, Kira (July 2017). "All of Donald Trump's White House staffers, ranked by salary". Quartz. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  31. ^ "CNN - Transcripts". CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  32. ^ Beavers, David (August 15, 2019). "Former Trump staffers consulting for president's reelect". Politico. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  33. ^ Scherer, Michael (August 28, 2020). "Republicans try to change President Trump's image for skeptical voters". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  34. ^ Corasaniti, Nick; Epstein, Reid J.; Rutenberg, Jim (November 11, 2020). "The Times Called Officials in Every State: No Evidence of Voter Fraud". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  35. ^ Farley, Robert (November 8, 2020). "FactCheck: Trump sticks with bogus voter fraud claim". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  36. ^ Farley, Robert (November 28, 2016). "Trump Sticks With Bogus Voter Fraud Claims". FactCheck.org. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  37. ^ Wolfe, Jan (January 6, 2022). "Factbox: Trump's false claims debunked: the 2020 election and Jan. 6 riot". Reuters. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  38. ^ Sullivan, Kate (October 6, 2023). "Trump's anti-immigrant comments draw rebuke". CNN.
  39. ^ Gold, Michael (November 13, 2023). "After Calling Foes 'Vermin,' Trump Campaign Warns Its Critics Will Be 'Crushed'". The New York Times.
  40. ^ "CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos". lite.cnn.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  41. ^ Treene, Alayna (December 15, 2021). "Trump Republicans eager to dethrone McConnell as GOP leader". Axios. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  42. ^ Ball, Brian (August 18, 2021). "Renacci Asks Ohio Attorney General, Secretary of State to Investigate Sources of DeWine Campaign Cash". The Ohio Star. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  43. ^ Masters, Kim (September 18, 2019). "The Strange Saga of Jeffrey Epstein's Link to a Child Star Turned Cryptocurrency Mogul". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  44. ^ Schreckinger, Ben (April 22, 2022). "Bannon is helping a Vermont crypto bro get elected to the Senate". Politico. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  45. ^ Fowler, Stephen; Bowman, Tom; Lawrence, Quil (September 5, 2024). "Trump deputy campaign manager identified in Arlington National Cemetery dustup". NPR. Retrieved September 21, 2024. The two staffers, according to a source with knowledge of the incident, are deputy campaign manager Justin Caporale and Michel Picard, a member of Trump's advance team.
  46. ^ Bowman, Tom (August 27, 2024). "Trump Campaign Staff had Altercation with Official at Arlington National Cemetery". NPR. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  47. ^ Haberman, Maggie (August 27, 2024). "Trump Team Clashed with Official at Arlington National Cemetery". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  48. ^ Haberman, Maggie (August 28, 2024). "Trump Videos at Grave Dismay Family of Green Beret Buried at Arlington". The New York Times. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  49. ^ Kim, Soo Rin; Walsh, Kelsey; Ibssa, Lalee; Murray, Isabella (August 28, 2024). "Trump posts campaign video of Arlington National Cemetery visit after 'incident'". ABC News. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  50. ^ "Trump eyes longtime Virginia operative for senior 2024 campaign role", The Washington Post.
  51. ^ Dorn, Sara (October 26, 2022). "Trump-Linked Super PAC Spends Millions In These Key Senate Races". Forbes.
  52. ^ Isenstadt, Alex (September 23, 2022). "Trump to unleash millions in the midterms in possible prelude to 2024". Politico.
  53. ^ Gabby Orr, Dan Merica, Fredreka Schouten (September 23, 2022). "Trump allies launch new super PAC to bolster GOP candidates in midterms as former President eyes 2024 campaign". CNN.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  54. ^ "Trump Has a 'Solid' 2024 Team But MAGA Fringe Never Far Away". Time. November 23, 2022.
  55. ^ Samuels, Brett (September 23, 2022). "Top Trump allies launch super PAC to back endorsed candidates". The Hill.
  56. ^ Petrizzo, Jake Lahut,Zachary (December 9, 2022). "Did Donald Trump Already Forget He's Running for President?". The Daily Beast.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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