President Trump’s revolving door continues to churn the swamp.
Raj Shah, former deputy press secretary for much of the Trump administration, has left the White House for K Street. He joins lobbying shop Ballard Partners to launch its strategic communications arm, Ballard Media Group.
This isn’t so surprising. Plenty of Trump alumni are now drawing paychecks from K Street.
Former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski set up his own lobbying firm. Former national political director Jim Murphy joined a similar influence operation. Former Trump administration economic and trade adviser Everett Eissenstat now lobbies for General Motors.
Business will be good for these guys, and the many more who jumped, for at least the next two years.
Shah is just doing the same, and he cashes out a hero. Among his other accomplishments, Shah deserves credit for successfully managing White House communications during the Kavanaugh confirmation fight.
This is an especially helpful illustration though because Shah’s move has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with influence. He is teaming up with alumni of the Clinton administration.
For the last two years, Shah worked day in and day out to advance the “America First” agenda of the president. For the last three years of the Clinton administration, James Rubin served as U.S. assistant secretary of state for public affairs. The two have divergent politics, but now they’ll be working toward a common good: enriching the firm, its clients, and its revolving-door lobbyists and flacks.
