Steven Cheung | |||||||||||
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張振熙 | |||||||||||
.jpg) Cheung in 2025 | |||||||||||
| White House Communications Director | |||||||||||
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 | |||||||||||
| President | Donald Trump | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Ben LaBolt | ||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||
| Born | (1982-06-23)June 23, 1982 (age 43) South Sacramento,California, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Education | California State University, Sacramento (no degree) | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 張振熙 | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张振熙 | ||||||||||
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Steven Cheung[a] (born June 23, 1982) is an American political advisor who has served as theWhite House communications director since 2025.
Cheung attendedCalifornia State University, Sacramento, but did not earn a degree. He began his political career working as a communications and speechwriting intern forCalifornia governorArnold Schwarzenegger in college. Cheung later worked forArizona senatorJohn McCain's2008 presidential campaign,Steve Poizner's campaign in the2010 California gubernatorial election,Sharron Angle's campaign in the2010 United States Senate election in Nevada, andTexas lieutenant governorDavid Dewhurst's campaign for the2012 United States Senate election in Texas. In July 2016, Cheung joinedDonald Trump's2016 presidential campaign.
Cheung served as the White House assistant communications director and later the director of strategic response in Trump'sfirst presidency. He was purportedly instrumental in ensuringNeil Gorsuch'sSupreme Court nomination and the passage of theTax Cuts and Jobs Act. In June 2018, Cheung was fired byJohn F. Kelly amid broader staff changes. After leaving the White House, Cheung consulted for several campaigns, including Trump's2020 presidential campaign andCaitlyn Jenner's campaign in the2021 California gubernatorial recall election. In September 2022, he began leading communications forMAGA Inc., Trump'ssuper PAC. Cheung later became the director of communications for Trump's2024 presidential campaign.
In November 2024, Trump named Cheung as his White House communications director.
Steven Cheung was born on June 23,[1] 1982,[2] inSouth Sacramento,California.[3] He is the son ofHongkonger parents who emigrated to the United States; his mother was raised inJapan.[4] Cheung graduated fromJohn F. Kennedy High School in 2000.[5] He played for John F. Kennedy's football team.[4] Cheung attendedCalifornia State University, Sacramento, majoring in computer science and political science,[4] but did not earn a degree.[6]
While attending California State University, Cheung worked as a communications and speechwriting intern forCalifornia governorArnold Schwarzenegger.[1] He worked forArizona senatorJohn McCain's2008 presidential campaign.[7] Cheung later worked forSteve Poizner's campaign in the2010 California gubernatorial election andSharron Angle's campaign in the2010 United States Senate election in Nevada.[8] By October 2011, he had begun working forTexas lieutenant governorDavid Dewhurst in his campaign for the2012 United States Senate election in Texas.[9] In 2013,[4] Cheung was named as the director of communications and public affairs forUltimate Fighting Championship.[8]
In July 2016, Cheung was named as the director of rapid response forDonald Trump's2016 presidential campaign.[7] After Trump's victory in the2016 presidential election, he was named to Trump'spresidential transition team, overseeing rapid response.[10] In January 2017, one day prior to Trump'sfirst inauguration, Cheung was appointed as the White House assistant communications director.[11] He became the director of strategic response in September.[12] Cheung was among those fired by White House chief of staffJohn F. Kelly in June 2018. According toCliff Sims, Cheung—an obscure aide—was instrumental in ensuringNeil Gorsuch'sSupreme Court nomination and the passage of theTax Cuts and Jobs Act.[13]
By August 2019, Cheung had begun consulting Trump's2020 presidential campaign through his firm, Solgence.[14] He joinedCaitlyn Jenner's campaign in the2021 California gubernatorial recall election in April 2021.[15] In January 2022,Politico reported that Cheung was considering a campaign in the2022 United States House of Representatives election forCalifornia's ninth congressional district after representativeJerry McNerney declined to seek a tenth term.[3] Cheung worked forBrock Pierce's tentative campaign in the2022 United States Senate election in Vermont.[16] He advised formerMissouri governorEric Greitens's campaign in the2022 United States Senate election in Missouri.[17]
Cheung helped orchestrate the2020 Republican National Convention.[18] In September 2022, he was appointed as the director of communications forMAGA Inc., asuper PAC for Trump.[19] By March 2023, Cheung had been leading communications for Trump's2024 presidential campaign.[20] As the campaign's director of communications, he wrote several of Trump's posts onTruth Social.[21] In August 2024,NPR reported that several members of Trump campaign's staff had engaged in a physical altercation with an official atArlington National Cemetery. Cheung told NPR that the cemetery worker was "suffering from a mental health episode" and asserted that the campaign had permission to film at the cemetery.[22]
On November 15, 2024, president-elect Donald Trump named Cheung as hisWhite House communications director.[23]
Cheung employs a combative style mirroringDonald Trump's own approach to the media.[24][25]The Atlantic described Cheung as having "relentless aggression" that "helps quench the base's thirst forowning the libs."[25]Stephanie Grisham, who worked with Cheung in the White House, toldNOTUS that he excelled at "pithy statements that can offend people quickly, which is exactly what Trumpworld likes."[26] In contrast to his predecessors, Cheung's social media posts are often profanity-laden and attack Trump's adversaries.[25] Cheung has referred to various political adversaries and reporters through terms such as "cuck," "dumbass," "dick," and "fucking stupid." He describedJames Comey, the formerdirector of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as "one of the dumbest motherfuckers in human history,"[24]Florida governorRon DeSantis as a "desperate eunuch",[27] andCalifornia governorGavin Newsom as "a mongoloid who barely registers half a brain cell."[28] According toThe New Yorker'sClare Malone, Cheung's abrasive tone is not present in his direct and private communications with reporters.[29]
Media related toSteven Cheung (political advisor) at Wikimedia Commons| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | White House Communications Director 2025–present | Incumbent |
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