Trump names Katie Bailey as White House legislative affairs director

Donald Trump announced on 10 October 2026 that he had appointed Katie Bailey to lead the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, promoting a deputy to head the office that advances his agenda in Congress. Bailey is to replace James Braid, who Trump said in his Truth Social post was moving into the private sector. [1] [7]

CBS News reported, citing multiple sources, that Bailey had accepted Trump’s offer of the position. [10]

Bailey’s Senate remit is a White House liaison role. Legislative Affairs has teams for both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The White House’s staff list as of 1 July recorded her as deputy director of legislative affairs and Braid as director. [1] [7] [2] [12]

Her earlier Capitol Hill experience includes work for Indiana Republican senator Mike Braun: the October 2022 Congressional Directory lists her as his legislative director. [6]

In his 10 October Truth Social announcement, Trump said Bailey had assisted in the confirmations of Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary, Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence and Keith Sonderling as labour secretary. His announcement did not describe her specific tasks in those proceedings. [1]

The Senate confirmed Mullin on 23 March by 54 votes to 45, with one senator not voting. Clayton was confirmed on 28 July by 51 votes to 47, with two not voting. Sonderling was confirmed on 30 September by 47 votes to 41, with 12 not voting. [3] [4] [9] [5]

Trump had previously announced on 20 August that Braid would leave the White House in September. The new announcement did not give Bailey’s start date or identify Braid’s next employer. [8] [1]