White House spokesperson Kush Desai moves to ODNI

• In practical terms, that meant prescription-drug pricing, tariffs, trade deals, vaccines, the Federal Reserve and inflation were part of Desai's portfolio as senior deputy press secretary and special assistant to the president.

Zoom in: Desai is helping find his White House replacement as he transitions into his new ODNI role as the assistant director of national intelligence for strategic communications.

• Desai, a longtime Republican National Committee staffer, gained political experience in Iowa, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, where he was the battleground state's spokesperson for the Trump campaign in 2024.

Zoom out: ODNI experienced tumult during the first 16 months of Trump's presidency under then-Director Tulsi Gabbard, who left to tend to her husband as he battled cancer.

• Under new Director Jay Clayton, the office has been largely free of controversy.
• Desai had been in talks to take on the new role since Clayton's confirmation early last month.

What they're saying: Trump adviser and former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Desai "one of the smartest and hardest working people I've met in Washington."