The man tapped to be Donald Trump’s top legislative liaison will face challenges on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue as he manages a mercurial boss and tough math in both chambers of Congress.
If the president-elect’s late-night and pre-sunrise social media blasts about legislation and lawmakers don’t prove challenging enough for former congressional aide James Braid and his incoming White House legislative affairs staff, the tight margins in what will be the Republican-run House and Senate will likely only further complicate matters.
But Republican sources say Braid’s history in conservative circles should help the Trump team clear any potential hurdles, predicting several legislative wins next year. Braid is a former policy director for the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus and was a staffer for former South Carolina GOP Rep. Mark Sanford and for North Carolina Republican Ted Budd, when he served in the House. He most recently was a senior aide to Ohio Sen. JD Vance, the incoming vice president.
