Trump political aides shifting over to re-election campaign

Bill Stepien and Justin Clark are leaving the administration to work on President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.

Associated Press
Catherine Lucey and Zeke Miller

December 7, 2018

In this Sept. 10, 2013 file photo, Justin Clark is shown in Bridgeport, Conn. White House political director Bill Stepien and Justin Clark, the director of the office of public liaison, are leaving the administration to work on President Donald Trump's re-election campaign. (Jessica Hill/AP Photo)

White House political director Bill Stepien and Justin Clark, the director of the office of public liaison, are leaving the administration to work on President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. Both are veterans of Trump’s 2016 operation.

The White House staff moves, announced Friday, come as Trump’s political focus is shifting toward 2020 and in anticipation of a more partisan environment in Washington once Democrats take control of the House in January.

Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said in a statement that Stepien and Clark will work on “building out the political infrastructure that will support victory for President Trump and the GOP in 2020.”

Stepien oversaw Trump’s midterm campaign push, which included a series of rallies intended to help limit GOP losses. Republicans kept control of the Senate after last month’s election, but lost their House majority, setting up a challenging two years for Trump under a divided Congress.

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Clark joined the Trump campaign during the 2016 primaries, serving as deputy political director. Stepien, a former top aide to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, signed on during the general election as national field director.

This story has been corrected to reflect that Justin Clark is director of the White House office of public liaison and is not deputy to the White House political director.

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