Trump taps Steven Cheung to lead White House communications

President-elect Donald J. Trump announced Friday that he had selected Steven Cheung, his top campaign spokesman, as White House communications director.

Mr. Cheung, who once worked in the communications department of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, served in the Trump administration as director of strategic response. He will return to the White House next year in a top communications position.

Mr. Trump has long favored loud, powerful allies, and his decision to elevate Mr. Cheung is one of several recent announcements that reinforce that preference. During the campaign, Mr. Cheung often makes provocative, sometimes insulting statements calling out Mr. attacked Trump and the news media.

His most vicious statements in written statements came during the Republican primaries, when he frequently made personal attacks denigrating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was once Trump’s top Republican rival.

Mr. Cheung, who regularly uses hyper-masculine language favored by many on the ultra-online right, seemed to take particular pleasure in questioning Mr. DeSantis’ masculinity, calling him a “desperate eunuch” and saying once that the governor walked like a girl who “first discovered heels.”

Mr. Cheung’s statements have sometimes drawn fierce criticism from Democrats. After Mr. Trump last year compared his political enemies to “vermin” that needed to be exterminated, drawing condemnation from some liberals and historians for repeating the inhumane rhetoric of fascist dictators, Mr. Cheung stood firm and gave a scathing, violent response.

Although Mr. Cheung often traveled with Mr. Trump, he often relinquished appearances on television news — seen as crucial by Mr. Trump and his allies — to other members of the campaign’s communications team, including Karoline Leavitt, the press secretary the campaign. and Jason Miller, a senior advisor.

Mr. Trump has not yet announced a White House press secretary.

On Friday, Mr. Trump also said he would ask Sergio Gor, who has helped run the publishing company that produces Mr. Trump’s books, to run the White House presidential staff office.

The office helps vet political appointees, and Mr. Gor is likely to play a key role in helping Mr. Trump, who cares deeply about whether prospective hires meet his standards for loyalty, fill positions.

“Steven Cheung and Sergio Gor have been trusted advisors since my first presidential campaign in 2016, and have continued to champion the principles of America First throughout my first term, all the way to our historic victory in 2024,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.