Mercedes Schlapp (née Viana ; born December 27, 1972)[ 1] [ 2] is an American lobbyist and columnist. From September 2017 to July 2019, she served as White House Director of Strategic Communications in the Trump administration. Since July 2019, she has worked on the Trump 2020 re-election campaign.[ 3]
Personal life Schlapp is a first-generation Cuban-American raised in Florida, whose father was jailed for six years by the government of Cuba. She is married to Matt Schlapp , the chair of the American Conservative Union .[ 4] The Schlapps have five daughters who attend a Catholic church .[ 5]
Career
Schlapp worked on local and national political campaigns, as well as the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns for George W. Bush , and was Director of Specialty Media in his administration.[ 6] Later she was a Fox News contributor and a columnist for several publications including U.S. News & World Report and The Washington Times .[ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10]
Lobbyist Together with her husband Schlapp founded Cove Strategies, a lobbying firm based in Alexandria, Virginia , in 2009.[ 11] Since president Trump entered the White House, the income of the firm surged (from $600,000 in 2015 to more than a $1 million in 2017).[ 11] Koch Industries was the firm's first client.[ 11]
NRA She was a board member of the National Rifle Association before joining the White House.[ 12] She was an aid consultant at the NRA, earning $60,000 from the NRA in 2015, and $45,000 in 2016, according to N.R.A. tax filings. [ 11]
Trump administration On September 12, 2017, President Donald Trump 's administration announced that Schlapp would serve as Director of Strategic Communications .[ 13] Prior to joining the Trump administration, Schlapp made numerous statements that were strongly critical of Trump.[ 14]
Schlapp attracted attention when she and her husband left the White House Correspondents Dinner early in April 2018, saying that she was disgusted by comedian Michelle Wolf’s jokes aimed at Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.[ 11] [ 15] In a limousine en route to an exclusive NBC/MSNBC afterparty, she tweeted that Wolf's comedy routine is "why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite".[ 11] In May 2018, Schlapp defended White House aide Kelly Sadler after she joked that John McCain's opposition to CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel was irrelevant because "he’s dying anyway".[ 16] [ 17]
Political positions Schlapp has stated an opposition to same-sex marriage , calling President Barack Obama ’s decision to support it a "political ploy".[ 18] [ 19]
References
^ https://twitter.com/mschlapp/status/813812097624707072?lang=en
^ (subscription required) https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KLJG-KV7
^ Haberman, Maggie; Karni, Annie (2019-07-01). "Mercedes Schlapp Leaving White House Press Office to Join Trump Campaign" . The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-07-02 .
^ "The Hon. Matt Schlapp" . American Conservative Union . Retrieved 2016-06-11 .
^ The ACU (2015-02-27), CPAC 2015 - Matt Schlapp, Chairman, ACU, Former White House Political Director , retrieved 2016-06-11
^ "Mercedes (Mercy) Viana Schlapp" , ffrwculpeper.com /Founding Fathers Republican Women .
^ "Mercedes Schlapp" . www.usnews.com . Retrieved 2016-06-11 .
^ "Mercedes Schlapp: CNN Debate Was 'Montessori School' 'Unstructured' " . NewsBusters . Retrieved 2016-06-11 .
^ "Mercy Schlapp stories" . Fox News . Retrieved 2016-06-11 .
^ "Mercedes Schlapp | Stories - Washington Times" . www.washingtontimes.com . The Washington Times. Retrieved 2016-06-11 .
^ a b c d e f "Meet the Schlapps, Washington's Trump-Era 'It Couple' " . The New York Times . 2018-04-30. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2018-05-17 .
^ Woellert, Lorraine (February 28, 2018). "Missing from the gun debate: Trump's own experience with concealed carry" . Politico . Retrieved April 29, 2018 . Mercedes Schlapp, his director of strategic communications, was a board member of the NRA before joining the White House.
^ Greenwood, Max (September 12, 2017). "Mercedes Schlapp joins White House as senior communications adviser" " . thehill.com . Washington DC: Capitol Hill Publishing. Retrieved April 29, 2018 .
^ Darcy, Oliver. "Top White House communications aide has history of rhetoric strongly critical of Trump" . CNNMoney . Retrieved 2018-06-18 .
^ Stelter, Brian. "Here's how people reacted to Michelle Wolf's White House correspondents' roast" . CNNMoney . Retrieved 2018-05-17 .
^ Hart, Benjamin. "Five White House Staffers Leak Meeting About White House Leaks" . Daily Intelligencer . Retrieved 2018-05-17 .
^ "The White House's John McCain death joke controversy, explained" . Vox . Retrieved 2018-05-17 .
^ Schlapp, Mercedes (May 11, 2012). "Churches Feel Persecuted by Obama" . U.S. News & World Report . U.S. News & World Report L.P. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018.
^ Riley, John (September 12, 2017). "Anti-LGBTQ activist Mercedes Schlapp joins White House Press Office" . Metro Weekly .
External links
Office Name Term Office Name Term White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus 2017 National Security Advisor Michael Flynn 2017 John F. Kelly 2017–19 H. R. McMaster 2017–18 Mick Mulvaney 2019–20 John Bolton 2018–19 Mark Meadows 2020–21 Robert C. O'Brien 2019–21 Principal Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh 2017 Deputy National Security Advisor K. T. McFarland 2017 Kirstjen Nielsen 2017 Ricky L. Waddell 2017–18 James W. Carroll 2017–18 Mira Ricardel 2018 Zachary Fuentes 2018–19 Charles Kupperman 2019 Emma Doyle 2019–20 Matthew Pottinger 2019–21 Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Rick Dearborn 2017–18 Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert 2017–18 Chris Liddell 2018–21 Doug Fears 2018–19 Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Joe Hagin 2017–18 Peter J. Brown 2019–20 Daniel Walsh 2018–19 Julia Nesheiwat 2020–21 Anthony M. Ornato 2019–21 Dep. Natl. Security Advisor, Strategy Dina Powell 2017–18 Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Bill Shine 2018–19 Nadia Schadlow 2018 Dan Scavino 2020–21 Dep. Natl. Security Advisor, Middle East and North African Affairs Victoria Coates 2019–20 Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway 2017–20 White House Communications Director Sean Spicer 2017 Steve Bannon 2017 Michael Dubke 2017 Johnny DeStefano 2018–19 Anthony Scaramucci 2017 Hope Hicks 2020–21 Hope Hicks 2017–18 Derek Lyons 2020–21 Bill Shine 2018–19 Senior Advisor, Strategic Planning Jared Kushner 2017–21 Stephanie Grisham 2019–20 Senior Advisor, Policy Stephen Miller 2017–21 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer 2017 Senior Advisor, Economic Issues Kevin Hassett 2020 Sarah Huckabee Sanders 2017–19 Advisor Ivanka Trump 2017–21 Stephanie Grisham 2019–20 Director, Public Liaison George Sifakis 2017 Kayleigh McEnany 2020–21 Johnny DeStefano 2017–18 Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders 2017 Justin R. Clark 2018 Raj Shah 2017–19 Steve Munisteri 2018–19 Hogan Gidley 2019–20 Timothy Pataki 2019–21 Brian R. Morgenstern 2020–21 Director, Intergovernmental Affairs Justin R. Clark 2017–18 Director, Strategic Communications Hope Hicks 2017 Douglas Hoelscher 2019–21 Mercedes Schlapp 2017–19 Director, National Economic Council Gary Cohn 2017–18 Alyssa Farah 2020 Larry Kudlow 2018–21 Director, Social Media Dan Scavino 2017–19 Chair, Council of Economic Advisers Kevin Hassett 2017–19 Director, Legislative Affairs Marc Short 2017–18 Tomas J. Philipson 2019–20 Shahira Knight 2018–19 Tyler Goodspeed 2020–21 Eric Ueland 2019–20 Chair, Domestic Policy Council Andrew Bremberg 2017–19 Amy Swonger 2020–21 Joe Grogan 2019–20 Director, Political Affairs Bill Stepien 2017–18 Brooke Rollins 2020–21 Brian Jack 2019–21 Director, National Trade Council Peter Navarro 2017–21 Director, Presidential Personnel Johnny DeStefano 2017–18 White House Counsel Don McGahn 2017–18 Sean E. Doocey 2018–20 Emmet Flood 2018 John McEntee 2020–21 Pat Cipollone 2018–21 Director, Management & Administration Marcia L. Kelly 2017–18 White House Cabinet Secretary Bill McGinley 2017–19 Monica J. Block 2018–21 Matthew J. Flynn 2019 White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter 2017–18 Kristan King Nevins 2019–21 Derek Lyons 2018–21 Personal Aide to the President John McEntee 2017–18 Director, Science & Technology Policy Kelvin Droegemeier 2019–21 Jordan Karem 2018 Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios 2019–21 Nicholas Luna 2018–19 Director, Management & Budget Mick Mulvaney 2017–19 Director, Oval Office Operations Keith Schiller 2017 Russell Vought 2019–21 Jordan Karem 2017–19 Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent 2018–20 Madeleine Westerhout 2019 United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer 2017–21 Nicholas Luna 2019–21 Director, National Drug Control Policy James W. Carroll 2018–21 Chief of Staff to the First Lady Lindsay Reynolds 2017–20 Chair , Council on Environmental Quality Mary Neumayr 2018–21 Stephanie Grisham 2020–21 Chief of Staff to the Vice President Josh Pitcock 2017 White House Social Secretary Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd 2017–21 Nick Ayers 2017–19 White House Chief Usher Angella Reid † 2017 Marc Short 2019–21 Timothy Harleth 2017–21 Special Representative, International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz 2019–21 Physician to the President Ronny Jackson † 2017–18 COVID-19 Medical Advisors Deborah Birx 2020–21 Sean Conley 2018–21 Anthony Fauci 2020–21 Director, White House Military Office Keith Davids 2017–21 Scott Atlas 2020–21