Trump names Vance aide as legislative affairs director

President-elect Trump on Monday announced a trio of appointments to lead different White House offices, including his pick to serve as his top liaison to Capitol Hill.

Trump, in a news release, said James Braid would serve as director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. Braid is a top aide to Vice President-elect JD Vance, having been his lead policy staffer during his two years in the Senate. He previously worked in the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term. 

Braid is likely to be an instrumental figure in pushing Trump’s agenda on Capitol Hill, where Republicans in Congress are set to have narrow majorities in both chambers. That will allow the GOP to move quickly to pass tax reform and potentially an immigration measure via the budget reconciliation process, which would require only a simple majority in each chamber.

In addition, Trump announced that Matthew Brasseaux would lead the Office of Political Affairs, which handles outreach to important constituencies of the White House. Brasseaux most recently served as a deputy political director for Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Trump also said Alex Latcham will lead the Office of Public Liaison, which works with state and local leaders to advance the White House’s agenda. Latcham has been an aide to Trump for the past eight years as a political adviser, including as a top official for the campaign’s efforts in early primary states during the 2024 campaign.

The batch of appointments comes as Trump has announced nominees for nearly every Cabinet position and continues to fill top-level White House positions.