Melania Trump hires policy director in step toward official platform

Melania Trump is adding a policy director to her East Wing staff after nearly a year as the first lady, her office announced Thursday.

Reagan Thompson, an executive assistant on the National Security Council, will head up the first lady’s policy agenda and initiatives, according to Trump’s office.

Prior to joining the NSC, Thompson worked as a policy and communications adviser to current CIA Director Mike Pompeo when he was a congressman from Kansas. 

“Reagan’s experience with various statewide and national campaigns will be a big asset as the first lady and her team prepare to roll out her official platform in the coming months,” Stephanie Grisham, Trump’s spokeswoman, told The New York Times.

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Two other staffers are also joining the East Wing: Justin Caporale will serve as director of operations, and Annie LeHardy has been chosen to be the communications coordinator for the first lady’s press office.

In his new role, Caporale will be responsible for managing day-to-day logistical operations of the East Wing, as well as planning the first lady’s travel. He previously worked in the White House Office of Presidential Advance, which is responsible for preparing sites for visits by the president.

LeHardy, a former press assistant in the West Wing, will assist with media outreach for Trump’s chosen initiatives. 

The move to hire the three staffers comes after the release of a bombshell book, “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House,” by New York media writer Michael Wolff, which cast Trump as unenthusiastic — and even upset — about her husband’s 2016 electoral win.

The first lady’s office has pushed back on that account, saying that Trump always believed that her husband would win the race and that she supported him in his decision to run for office.