US President Donald Trump has appointed Indian-American former journalist Kush Desai as the new Deputy Press Secretary, the White House confirmed on Friday.
Desai brings extensive experience to the role, having previously served as Deputy Communications Director for the 2024 Republican National Convention and Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa. He also held the position of Deputy Battleground States and Pennsylvania Communications Director at the Republican National Committee, where he played a key role in shaping messaging and narratives in critical battleground states, including Pennsylvania, which Trump won in the 2024 election.
In his new role, Desai will work within the White House Office of Communications, under the oversight of Deputy White House Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich.
Who is Kush Desai?
Kush Desai, a graduate of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, having studied at the Ivy League institution from 2013 to 2017. During his time at Dartmouth, he received the prestigious James O. Freedman Presidential Research Scholarship, which provided him with valuable research experience alongside faculty members. Fluent in both English and his native language, Gujarati, Desai is bilingual.
Desai began his professional career as a reporter for The Daily Caller, where he worked from July 2017 to March 2018. In April 2018, he joined the Republican National Committee (RNC) as a research analyst, a position he held until February 2019.
He advanced steadily within the RNC, becoming Director of Vetting in March 2019. By 2021, he was appointed Iowa Communications Director, and in December 2022, he assumed the role of Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa, serving until January 2024.
Leading up to his appointment as Deputy Press Secretary, Desai served as Deputy Communications Director at the 2024 Republican National Convention. In July 2024, he was named Deputy Battleground States and Pennsylvania Communications Director, a role he continues to hold, as noted on his LinkedIn profile.
