President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his director of legislative affairs, James Braid, will depart the White House next month.
Trump confirmed in a post on Truth Social that Braid is leaving the White House in September.
“James has played a critical role in our many accomplishments with Congress, including THE ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL, beating the Democrats in two shutdown showdowns, passing the GENIUS Act, defeating a record number of War Powers resolutions, and the confirmation of my Cabinet at the fastest rate in decades,” Trump wrote.
“This has been, and will continue to be, the most successful Republican Congress in History. Thank you, James, for your service to our Nation!” he added.
In a post on X, Vice President JD Vance lauded Braid on Thursday for his work in helping to achieve the president’s legislative agenda:
James Braid had one of the toughest jobs in the entire Administration as White House Legislative Director and delivered for President Trump at every turn. He played a critical role in all of the administration’s achievements in Congress: largest tax cut ever, resources to carry out President Trump’s historic immigration agenda and finish the border wall, defeating two Democratic shutdowns, a landmark first crypto bill, the fastest confirmation of the cabinet in decades and much more.
Vance called Braid both “brilliant” and an extremely hard worker.
“Not only is James brilliant, he is one of the hardest workers you will ever meet,” he wrote. “He’s been with me in every fight I’ve been in, from day one in my senate office through the transition and the President’s transformative second term.”
“He has served the President with distinction and I couldn’t be prouder of him,” he added.
Braid joined Breitbart News’s Washington Bureau Chief Matthew Boyle, Finance and Economics Editor John Carney, and Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) last Summer for a discussion at Breitbart News’s policy event with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and detailed how Republicans could hold onto their majority in Congress in the midterms.
“One point I’d make to that is the map is very favorable,” Braid explained to the panel. “So, you know, there are only three Republicans in the House in Kamala-won districts. There are 13 Democrats in Trump-won districts. You know, I don’t want to get too far into this. But obviously we’re seeing reporting that a number of different states have decided to pursue changes. And so, yeah, I mean, I think there’s a great opportunity to defy history.”
Braid also noted that the effects of the One Big Beautiful Bill kicking in long before voting commences will be another factor helping Republicans.
“The bill is retroactive [to] January 1, 2025, so not only was it passed by July 4, which was six months earlier than the tax cuts in 2017, it goes retroactive,” Braid explained. “So everyone who has tips, overtime, Social Security, obviously the rates, obviously the business provisions, they will feel it immediately when they’re filing their taxes in April, before the midterms. So, you’re looking at, and I mean, even in some of these blue states, where, candidly, the majority runs through, you’re going to see a huge reduction in their [state and local tax] SALT expenses.”
“You look at that and say, ‘People are going to receive thousands and thousands of dollars in their pocketbooks in April before they’re going to the polls,’” Braid added. “That’s going to have a transformative impact on, I think, how the midterms go, because the Republican Party will have delivered material increases in prosperity for Americans, and that typically is rewarded at the polls.”
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