Who is Kush Desai, Indian-American ex-journalist, now Trump’s deputy press secretary

In his new position, Desai will work under the White House Office of Communications, which will be overseen by Deputy White House Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich.

Who is Kush Desai?

Kush Desai, a Dartmouth College graduate, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Ivy League institution in Hanover, New Hampshire, where he studied from 2013 to 2017. During his time at Dartmouth, Desai earned the prestigious James O. Freedman Presidential Research Scholarship, a programme that allows students to gain research experience by working with Dartmouth faculty. He is bilingual, fluent in both English and Gujarati, which is his native language too.

Desai’s professional journey began as a reporter for The Daily Caller, where he worked from July 2017 to March 2018. In April 2018, he joined the Republican National Committee (RNC) as a research analyst, a role he held until February 2019.

His upward trajectory continued within the RNC, where he became Director of Vetting in March 2019. By 2021, he was appointed Iowa Communications Director, and in December 2022, he took on the role of Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa. He served in that capacity until January 2024.

In the months leading up to his appointment as the deputy press secretary, Desai worked as the Deputy Communications Director at the 2024 Republican National Convention. In July 2024, he became the Deputy Battleground States and Pennsylvania Communications Director, a position he continues to hold, according to his LinkedIn profile.