Melania Trump Reveals First Major Hire Ahead Of White House Return

Melania Trump has unveiled her first significant appointment in preparation for her anticipated return as first lady, selecting a longtime Trump ally to serve as her chief of staff.

Hayley Harrison, a seasoned member of the Trump inner circle, has been tapped for the role, according to DailyMail.com. Harrison previously worked in the East Wing during Donald Trump’s first term and continued to support the Trumps at Mar-a-Lago after they exited the White House.

Both Harrison and her husband, William “Beau” Harrison, served as White House staffers during Trump’s presidency and accompanied the Trumps to Florida after January 20, 2021. The couple was aboard Marine One with the former president and first lady during their final departure from the White House.

The Harrisons have remained closely involved with the Trumps. Financial disclosures from the Federal Election Commission reveal that both Hayley and William were employed by Trump’s Save America PAC, earning between $8,000 and $10,000 monthly for their work. William’s final payment was reported in November 2023.

In announcing Hayley Harrison’s new role, Melania Trump emphasized her loyalty and expertise.

“Hayley Harrison has been appointed as First Lady Melania Trump’s Chief of Staff,” her office shared in a post on the X platform.

The statement praised Harrison’s “integral role and exceptional leadership” over the past seven years, noting her in-depth understanding of White House operations. As Chief of Staff, Harrison will oversee the East Wing’s activities and coordinate with other parts of the government strategically.

During Donald Trump’s first term, Harrison—then known by her maiden name, D’Antuono—served as Director of Operations in the East Wing. She later married William “Beau” Harrison, who held a junior position in the West Wing. Following their move to Mar-a-Lago, Hayley continued assisting Melania Trump, while William managed logistics for the Trumps’ transition to Palm Beach.

Both Harrisons were later involved in federal investigations related to classified documents discovered at Trump’s Florida residence.

On the broader political stage, Donald Trump has also been assembling his team for a second term. His recent nomination of former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General has sparked debate, particularly among critics on the left.

Speaking on MSNBC’s The Beat With Ari Melber, political scientist Jason Johnson described Bondi as a skilled legal strategist capable of advancing Trump’s agenda. Johnson characterized her as a “dangerous and effective pick” due to her expertise in contentious policy areas.

“Pam Bondi is exactly what I was saying in the last segment that we should all fear because she’s competent,” Johnson explained. “We may not agree with her ideologically, but she actually knows how to do this job. So if anyone on the Democratic side or anyone who cared about liberty or justice was thinking, well, maybe Matt Gaetz will screw this up and that’ll give us some time…”

Johnson also highlighted Bondi’s firm stance on immigration and education policies as indicative of her potential approach to the role.

“She knows what she’s doing about immigration. Remember, Florida is one of those states that’s been very aggressive about migrants and deportation and moving people to different states and everything else like that,” he said. Johnson further pointed to Florida’s legislative actions impacting students and funding as examples of Bondi’s strategic acumen.

“Florida has enacted all sorts of rules and laws to curtail students and what they can do on campuses and finding legal justifications for manipulating education money. She is a dangerous and effective pick, and that’s, frankly, worse than what we would have got with Matt Gaetz, even with the deplorable moral background that he has,” Johnson concluded.