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White House Communications Director

U.S. presidential staff member in charge of the White House's media campaign

U.S. presidential staff member in charge of the White House's media campaign

FieldValue
postWhite House Communications Director
insigniaThe White House logo under Trump 2.0.jpg
insigniasize150px
incumbentSteven Cheung
image[[File:Steven Cheung April 2025.jpg175px]]
incumbentsinceJanuary 20, 2025
departmentExecutive Office of the President
White House Office
reports_toWhite House Chief of Staff
appointerPresident of the United States
firstHerbert G. Klein
formation1969 (White House Office)
1974 (White House Office of the Press Secretary)

White House Office 1974 (White House Office of the Press Secretary) The White House communications director or White House director of communications, also known officially as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the president of the United States. The officeholder is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the president and leading its media campaign.

The director, along with their staff, works on major political speeches such as the inaugural address and the State of the Union Address. The communications director, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president, without the need for United States Senate confirmation, is usually given an office in the West Wing of the White House.

History

The White House Office of Communications was established by Herbert G. Klein in January 1969 during the Nixon administration. It was separate from the Office of the Press Secretary from 1969 to 1974.

Key staff

  • Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President and White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung

  • Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the President and White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt

List of directors

ImageNameStartEndDurationRef(s)President
[[File:No image.svg60px]]url=http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3864title=Richard Nixon: Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch.website=presidency.ucsb.edu}}Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:No image.svg60px]]
Republican Party (United States)}};"
(1974–1977)
[[File:No image.svg60px]]url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1AMDcjxuok4Ctitle=Managing the President's Message: The White House Communications Operationfirst=Martha Joyntlast=Kumardate=July 6, 2007publisher=JHU Pressisbn=9780801886522via=Google Books}}
[[File:Margita White, Assistant Deputy Director of Communications in the White House.jpg60px]]
[[File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped7).jpg60px]]
[[File:Gerald Rafshoon.tif60px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:No image.svg60px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped7).jpg60px]]title=Key Reagan Administration Officialsurl=http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/keyofficials.htmlurl-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050304004827/http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/keyofficials.htmlarchive-date=March 4, 2005website=reagan.utexas.edu}}
[[File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped2).jpg60px]]
[[File:Pat Buchanan 1985a (1).jpg60px]]
[[File:No image.svg60px]]
[[File:Tom Griscom 1987.jpg60px]]
[[File:Mari Maseng 1988.jpg60px]]
[[File:No image.svg60px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Tutwilermd 175.jpg60px]]
[[File:George Stephanopoulos cropped.jpg60px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Mark Gearan NCMNPS.jpg60px]]
[[File:No image.svg60px]]
[[File:Ann Lewis (138) (13315485475).jpg60px]]
[[File:No image.svg60px]]
[[File:KarenHughes.jpg60px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Daniel Joseph Bartlett.jpg60px]]
[[File:Nicolle Wallace (cropped).jpg60px]]
[[File:Kevin Sullivan (18578730486) (cropped).jpg60px]]
[[File:No image.svg60px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Anita Dunn.jpg60px]]
[[File:Daniel Pfeiffer.jpg60px]]
[[File:Jennifer Palmieri, Aug. 2013 (cropped).jpg60px]]
[[File:Jen Psaki April 1 2015 (cropped).jpg60px]]
[[File:Press secretary Sean Spicer (cropped).jpg60px]]Republican Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Michael D. Dubke.jpg60px]]url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11870660title=Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicerdate=June 6, 2017work=The New Zealand Heraldaccess-date=June 6, 2017}}
[[File:Press secretary Sean Spicer (cropped).jpg60px]]last=The White Housetitle=Press Briefing with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sandersdate=July 21, 2017url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-oM21Td-JEarchive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/8-oM21Td-JEarchive-date=2021-12-21url-status=liveaccess-date=July 21, 2017}}
[[File:Anthony Scaramucci at SALT Conference 2016 (cropped).jpg60px]]
[[File:Hope Hicks November 2017.jpg60px]]
[[File:Bill Shine (cropped).jpg60px]]
[[File:Stephanie Grisham.jpg60px]]
[[File:Kate Bedingfield (The Circus on SHOWTIME).jpg60px]]Democratic Party (United States)}};"
[[File:Ben LaBolt.png60px]]
[[File:Steven Cheung addresses press outside Trump trial in New York 05-28-24 A (cropped) (cropped).jpg60px]]IncumbentRepublican Party (United States)}};"

References

References

  1. "White House Unit Takes on New Life", ''[[The Washington Post]]'', November 26, 1973, p. 9.
  2. Judiciary, United States Congress House Committee on the. (1973). "Impeachment: Selected Materials". Government Printing Office.
  3. [https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/17/archives/press-operations-in-white-house-revised-with-politics-ruled-out.html "Press Operations in White House Revised, With Politics Ruled Out"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 17, 1974, p. 15.
  4. (15 November 2024). "Trump to tap campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung as communications director". Politico.
  5. Moore, Elena. (15 November 2024). "Trump picks Karoline Leavitt to be youngest White House press secretary in history". NPR.
  6. "Richard Nixon: Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch.".
  7. President (1974-1977 : Ford). White House Press Release Unit. 8/9/1974-1/20/1977. "Correspondence between President Ford and Ken W. Clawson, regarding Clawson's resignation [Letter]".
  8. Kumar, Martha Joynt. (July 6, 2007). "Managing the President's Message: The White House Communications Operation". JHU Press.
  9. Shabecoff, Philip. (July 13, 1976). "Ford Shifts and Expands Press Staff".
  10. "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum".
  11. Priluck, Lara. (2024-10-01). "Jimmy Carter is 100. His White House comms director — now 90 — has stories to tell.".
  12. "URSOMARSO, FRANK: Files, 1981 (3.1 l.ft.; Box 1-8)".
  13. "Ronald Reagan: Appointment of Frank A. Ursomarso as Director of the White House Office of Communications".
  14. "Key Reagan Administration Officials".
  15. (2024-02-26). "Buchanan, Patrick J.: Files, 1985-1987 {{!}} Ronald Reagan".
  16. "Letter Accepting the Resignation of John O. Koehler as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications".
  17. (2024-06-25). "Griscom, Thomas C.: Files, 1987-1988 {{!}} Ronald Reagan".
  18. "Mari Will Maseng Communications debate coach Washington, DC".
  19. "David F. Demarest".
  20. [https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PPP-1992-book2/pdf/PPP-1992-book2-doc-pg1417.pdf Appointment of Margaret DeBardeleben Tutwiler as Assistant to the President for Communications], ''gpo.gov''.
  21. (2001-01-16). "the clinton years".
  22. "William J. Clinton: Press Briefing by David Gergen and Mark Gearan".
  23. "Don Baer".
  24. "Ann Lewus, White House Director of Communications for President Bill Clinton, to Speak at State Museum on April 15 {{!}} The New York State Museum".
  25. "White House names new communications director - March 10, 1999".
  26. "Karen P. Hughes".
  27. "George W. Bush: Statement by the Press Secretary: Bartlett Named White House Communications Director".
  28. Balk, Tim. (2024-11-02). "Nicolle Wallace Calls on Her Former Boss, George W. Bush, to Denounce Trump". The New York Times.
  29. "Kevin Sullivan".
  30. "Ellen Moran, Chief of Staff to the Secretary of Commerce {{!}} Department of Commerce".
  31. "Anita Dunn".
  32. "Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer".
  33. "President Obama hugs Jennifer Palmieri during a farewell party".
  34. "Jen Psaki".
  35. "Sean Spicer {{!}} Trump's Road to the White House".
  36. [https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2017/03/06/president-donald-j-trump-announces-white-house-staff-appointments "President Donald J. Trump Announces White House Staff Appointments"], ''whitehouse.gov'', March 6, 2017.
  37. (June 6, 2017). "Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicer". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
  38. The White House. (July 21, 2017). "Press Briefing with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders".
  39. Herman, Steve. (July 21, 2017). "Shakeup Puts Different Face on White House Communications". VOA.
  40. "Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicer". [[The New Zealand Herald]].
  41. Shen, Lucinda. (July 21, 2017). "Anthony Scaramucci Thinks the White House Is About to Have a 'Phenomenal Relationship' With the Press". Fortune.
  42. (July 31, 2017). "John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci". [[The New York Times]].
  43. Santos, Amanda Proença. (July 31, 2017). "Scaramucci Sets New Record for Shortest Term as Communications Director". [[NBC News]].
  44. (July 31, 2017). "White House Holds Press Briefing after Anthony Scaramucci Resigns as Communications Director".
  45. (1 August 2017). "Anthony Scaramucci: Five top tips to lose a job in 10 days". [[BBC News]].
  46. (August 16, 2017). "Hope Hicks tapped for interim White House communications director". Fox News.
  47. Ballhaus, Rebecca. (2017-09-12). "Hope Hicks Named Permanent White House Communications Director". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
  48. (2018-03-29). "Hope Hicks is Gone, and It's Not Clear Who Can Replace Her". [[The New York Times]].
  49. (July 5, 2018). "Ex-Fox News exec Bill Shine to join White House". The Hill.
  50. Wise, Alana. (April 7, 2020). "White House Press Secretary Grisham Moves Back To First Lady's Office". NPR.
  51. "Kate Bedingfield, White House Communications Director".
  52. (July 6, 2022). "Kate Bedingfield to Depart the White House after over 3 Years Leading the President's Communications Operation".
  53. (2024-11-15). "Trump to tap campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung as communications director".
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