Trump's Capitol Hill whisperer reveals secrets to president's dealmaking as he heads for exit

James Braid, who has spent two years as President Donald Trump's point person with Congress, finished his tenure as director of the Office of Legislative Affairs on Tuesday. Though little known nationally, he helped steer major White House wins through Congress, among them reversals of Biden-era policies and passage of the president's signature tax bill, according to Fox News.

In an unusual interview with Fox News Digital, Braid described the work as requiring "cautious optimism in the face of all odds." At 6 feet, 6 inches, he is physically imposing around Washington, and he spent his time at the White House and on Capitol Hill advancing the president's legislative priorities.

The job carries friction, since Trump sometimes attacks lawmakers who resist him. Most recently he posted the private phone number of Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a Republican, after Cotton balked at making daylight saving time a permanent fixture. Braid argued that such clashes fade because of the president's ability to argue sharply with a lawmaker one day and golf with them the next. He conceded that some ties, such as the one with Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, never mended.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →