Steven Cheung (political advisor) explained

Steven Cheung
Birth Name:Huyen Cheung
Birth Date:23 June 1982
Birth Place:Sacramento, California, U.S
Party:Republican
Education:California State University, Sacramento (BA)

Huyen "Steven" Cheung (born June 23, 1982) is an American political advisor who is Donald Trump's campaign spokesman in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries and served in the Trump administration.[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]

Early life

Cheung was born in Sacramento, California, to Vietnamese Chinese parents who immigrated to the U.S., and was raised in Sacramento.[4] [5] He was a high school football player.[6] He attended California State University, Sacramento, majoring in computer science, electrical engineering, and government.[7] [8] [9]

Career

Political campaigns and UFC

In 2003, Cheung began his political career in then Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration in California.[10] He moved to Washington, D.C., in 2008 to work on the John McCain 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

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, who is an Asian American,[18] was involved 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."[19]

After Trump's victory over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, Cheung was named as an advisor to the presidential transition team.[20] [21] [22] According to media reports, he was at one point considered for the role of White House Press Secretary.[23] That job ultimately went to Sean Spicer.[24]

Trump White House

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.[25] Shortly after Gorsuch's confirmation, Cheung assumed a different position at the White House.[26]

On August 16, 2017, Cheung was appointed as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Strategic Response.[27] He then worked on the passage of Trump's tax reform bill, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[28] The bill successfully passed Congress and Trump signed it into law on December 22, 2017.[29]

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".[30]

On June 11, 2018, Politico reported Cheung left the White House,[31] 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.[25] It was later revealed that Cheung's annual White House salary was $131,000.[32] 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.[33]

Trump 2020 campaign

Politico reported that President Trump's 2020 re-election campaign retained the services of the firm Solgence, which is owned and operated by Cheung.[34] As part of the 2020 campaign, Cheung worked on putting together the Republican National Convention in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.[35]

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 baseless claims, according to experts, there has been no evidence of election fraud.[36] [37] [38] [39]

Post Trump presidency

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:

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

Cheung was a senior advisor on the 2022 U.S. Senate campaign of former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens.[40] [41]

Axios reported that Cheung joined as senior advisor to reality star Caitlyn Jenner's gubernatorial campaign in California during the 2021 recall election. Jenner's bid for governor was unsuccessful.[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.[43]

Congressional campaign

Politico reported on January 25, 2022, that Cheung was eyeing a House of Representatives seat in California's 9th congressional district after Rep. Jerry McNerney (D) announced his retirement.[7]

MAGA Inc.

As of 2023, Cheung was the communications director of Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC.[44] [45] [46] [47] [48] [49] [50]

Non-political work

Cheung has written opinion articles for USA Today, Fox News, and the Washington Examiner.[51] [52] [53]

References

  1. News: Vigdor . Neil . June 18, 2023 . In Nevada, DeSantis Sells Republicans on Ending 'Culture of Losing' . en-US . . June 19, 2023 . 0362-4331.
  2. Web site: Press Release - President-Elect Donald J. Trump Announces Second Wave of Additional White House Staff The American Presidency Project. February 17, 2022. presidency.ucsb.edu.
  3. Web site: Flood. Brian. July 11, 2016. Donald Trump Hires UFC Executive as He Gears Up for Fight Against Hillary Clinton. February 17, 2022. en-US.
  4. Web site: Sokolove . Michael . How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight . 2024-05-22 . Mother Jones . en-US.
  5. Web site: 2024-04-26 . Meet Donald Trump's 'sumo wrestler' campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung . 2024-05-22 . South China Morning Post . en.
  6. Web site: Sokolove . Michael . How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight . 2024-05-22 . Mother Jones . en-US.
  7. Web site: Bade. Rachael. Palmeri. Tara. Politico Playbook: Schumer strategy leaves some Dems seething. February 17, 2022. Politico. January 25, 2022 . en.
  8. Web site: Revolving Door: Steven Cheung Education . February 17, 2022. opensecrets.org. en.
  9. Web site: Sokolove . Michael . How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight . 2024-05-22 . Mother Jones . en-US.
  10. Web site: Lachlan . Markay . Alayna . Treene . Jonathan . Swan. Caitlyn Jenner files paperwork to run for governor of California. February 17, 2022. Axios. April 23, 2021 . en.
  11. Web site: July 11, 2016. Alison. Kanski. Trump campaign bulks up comms team with Bryan Lanza and Steven Cheung. February 17, 2022. prweek.com. en.
  12. Web site: Sokolove . Michael . How Trump's 2024 campaign became a bloody cage fight . 2024-05-22 . Mother Jones . en-US.
  13. Web site: PolitiFact - Ted Cruz says David Dewhurst's camp called him a Chinese Communist. February 17, 2022. Politico. en-US.
  14. Web site: Donald Trump Hires UFC Press Agent to Be His New "Rapid Response" Guy. February 17, 2022. vice.com. July 12, 2016 . en.
  15. Web site: Donald Trump has hired a former UFC executive for presidential campaign . February 17, 2022 . SportsJOE.ie . July 12, 2016 . en.
  16. Web site: July 11, 2016. Donald Trump hires former UFC staffer to presidential campaign. February 17, 2022. For The Win. en-US.
  17. Web site: Press Release - Trump Campaign Announces Expansion of Communications Team The American Presidency Project. February 17, 2022. presidency.ucsb.edu. February 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220217063612/https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/press-release-trump-campaign-announces-expansion-communications-team. dead.
  18. https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/23/playbook-birthday-steven-cheung-335271
  19. News: November 2, 2016. Ku Klux Klan newspaper declares support for Trump. en. Reuters. February 17, 2022.
  20. Web site: Trump adds vice chairs to transition team, including several women. February 17, 2022. Politico. November 29, 2016 . en.
  21. Web site: Press Release - President-Elect Donald J. Trump Announces New Vice Chairs and Executive Committee Members Serving on Presidential Transition Team The American Presidency Project. February 17, 2022. presidency.ucsb.edu.
  22. Web site: Brown. Heath. December 12, 2016. Focus on communications, not policy, sets Trump transition apart. February 17, 2022. The Hill. en.
  23. News: White House press briefings could be totally bonkers under Donald Trump. en-US. The Washington Post. February 17, 2022. 0190-8286.
  24. Web site: December 22, 2016 . Trump names Sean Spicer press secretary, announces other senior members of his press team . May 19, 2022 . . en.
  25. Web site: Karni. Annie. White House aide Steven Cheung leaves communications staff. February 17, 2022. Politico. June 11, 2018 . en.
  26. Web site: Estepa . Jessica . Hope Hicks is officially the White House communications director . May 21, 2022 . . en-US.
  27. Web site: September 13, 2017. Political power plays. February 17, 2022. Axios. en.
  28. Web site: Sanchez. Luis. June 11, 2018. White House communications aide Steven Cheung leaves position: report. February 17, 2022. The Hill. en.
  29. Web site: Here's When the GOP Tax Reform Bill Will Take Effect. February 17, 2022. Fortune. en.
  30. Book: Markay. Lachlan. Sinking in the Swamp: How Trump's Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington. Suebsaeng. Asawin. 2020. Penguin. 130 . 978-1-9848-7856-4. en.
  31. Web site: 2024-04-26 . Meet Donald Trump's 'sumo wrestler' campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung . 2024-05-22 . South China Morning Post . en.
  32. Web site: Bindrim. Kira. All of Donald Trump's White House staffers, ranked by salary. February 17, 2022. Quartz. July 2017 . en.
  33. Web site: CNN.com - Transcripts . May 19, 2022 . cnn.com.
  34. Web site: Beavers. David. Former Trump staffers consulting for president's reelect. February 17, 2022. Politico. August 15, 2019 . en.
  35. News: Scherer. Michael. August 28, 2020. Republicans try to change President Trump's image for skeptical voters. The Washington Post. February 18, 2022.
  36. News: Corasaniti. Nick. Epstein. Reid J.. Rutenberg. Jim. November 11, 2020. The Times Called Officials in Every State: No Evidence of Voter Fraud. en-US. The New York Times. February 17, 2022. 0362-4331.
  37. Web site: Farley. Robert. November 8, 2020. FactCheck: Trump sticks with bogus voter fraud claim. February 17, 2022. Philadelphia Inquirer. en.
  38. Web site: Farley. Robert. November 28, 2016. Trump Sticks With Bogus Voter Fraud Claims. February 17, 2022. FactCheck.org. en-US.
  39. News: Wolfe. Jan. January 6, 2022. Factbox: Trump's false claims debunked: the 2020 election and Jan. 6 riot. en. Reuters. February 17, 2022.
  40. Web site: CNN - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos. February 17, 2022. lite.cnn.com. February 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220217063603/http://lite.cnn.com/en/article/h_78fb1dc51adf3c7f2327141e1dd1b17e. dead.
  41. Web site: Treene. Alayna. Trump Republicans eager to dethrone McConnell as GOP leader. February 17, 2022. Axios. 15 December 2021 . en.
  42. Web site: Ball. Brian. August 18, 2021. Renacci Asks Ohio Attorney General, Secretary of State to Investigate Sources of DeWine Campaign Cash. February 17, 2022. The Ohio Star. en-US.
  43. Web site: Schreckinger . Ben . Bannon is helping a Vermont crypto bro get elected to the Senate . May 19, 2022 . Politico. April 22, 2022 . en.
  44. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/25/trump-campaign-lacivita/ "Trump eyes longtime Virginia operative for senior 2024 campaign role"
  45. Web site: Trump-Linked Super PAC Spends Millions In These Key Senate Races. Sara. Dorn. October 26, 2022. Forbes.
  46. Web site: Trump to unleash millions in the midterms in possible prelude to 2024. Alex. Isenstadt. September 23, 2022. POLITICO.
  47. Web site: Trump allies launch new super PAC to bolster GOP candidates in midterms as former President eyes 2024 campaign . Gabby Orr, Dan Merica, Fredreka Schouten. September 23, 2022. CNN.
  48. Trump Has a 'Solid' 2024 Team But MAGA Fringe Never Far Away. November 23, 2022. Time.
  49. Web site: Top Trump allies launch super PAC to back endorsed candidates. Brett. Samuels. September 23, 2022. The Hill.
  50. Web site: Did Donald Trump Already Forget He's Running for President?. Jake Lahut,Zachary. Petrizzo. December 9, 2022. The Daily Beast.
  51. Web site: Cheung. Steven. Hawaii's Mauna Kea must be respected. Build the Thirty Meter Telescope somewhere else.. February 17, 2022. USA Today. en-US.
  52. Web site: Cheung. Steven. November 29, 2018. Trump is winning on trade -- Don't let the 'experts' fool you. February 17, 2022. Fox News. en-US.
  53. Web site: March 24, 2020. The coronavirus came from China. That's not racism; it's a fact. February 17, 2022. Washington Examiner. en.

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