American Republican political aide, served in the White House under George Bush and Donald Trump.
Desiree Thompson Sayle is an American political aide. She is currently Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence in the Trump administration. This is her second stint as Director of Presidential Correspondence, having served as President George W. Bush's correspondence director from 2001 through 2004. Later in the Bush administration, she served as Director of the USA Freedom Corps—a fifth policy council within the Executive Office of the President during the Bush administration, tasked with strengthening the culture of service and volunteerism among the American population.[1][2]
Early life
Sayle was born in Orange County, California, and raised in Northern Virginia. She studied architecture at Radford University.[2]
Sayle is a lifelong volunteer from her beginning as a Girl Scout to partnering with Special Olympics during high school and later helping low income women develop skills to enter the workforce. Currently, Sayle is team manager of a local soccer team and volunteers with her children's school.[2]
Political career
Sayle has held several roles in politics and government. She worked as an assistant in the United States Capitol to congressman Joe Barton of Texas, and worked as an aide in President George H. W. Bush's White House until 1992. During that time she worked on the 1990 G-7 Summit in Houston, Texas. After leaving the White House, she was campaign manager for the successful 1994 re-election campaign of Georgia congressman John Linder. For several years, she was correspondence director for America's Promise Alliance, the nonprofit organization founded and led by retired general Colin Powell.
George W. Bush administration
At the start of the George W. Bush administration, she was appointed director of correspondence in the Office of the First Lady, Laura Bush.[2] Following the September 11 attacks, however, Sayle was appointed Special Assistant to the President and Director of Presidential Correspondence. She continued in that role until late 2004, when she was appointed Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the USA Freedom Corps.[2]
She departed that role in 2007.
Donald Trump administration
During the presidential transition of Donald Trump, in the winter of 2016–17, she was hired as correspondence director for the transition organization. She was then appointed Director of Presidential Correspondence in the Trump White House.[3] In the first year of the Trump presidency, she was one of a number of White House staff who were late in filing their financial disclosure documents.[4]
Personal life and family
Sayle resides on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with her three children, Isabela, Vivienne, and Christian.[2]
