Breitbart's immigration reporter Julia Hahn is set to join the White House team, a source with direct knowledge tells Axios. Trump's chief strategist Steve Bannon recruited her and she'll likely work under him as an adviser on policy issues like trade and immigration and on the speechwriting team. Politico first reported the news.
Within a team of aggressive nationalist populist reporters at Breitbart, Hahn stands out for her aggression. And she really, really, loathes Paul Ryan.
She's launched attack after attack after attack against the House Speaker — portraying him as a "globalist" who wants to sell out America via open borders and free trade. They include a story criticizing Ryan for building a "border fence" around his Janesville, Wis., home, while not being sufficiently supportive of Trump's immigration and border protection ideas. Shortly before the election Hahn dedicated almost 3,000 words to an attack on Ryan that accused him of being a secret Hillary Clinton supporter.
Why this matters: Given what she's written about Ryan, Hahn's appointment shows Trump is happy to continue the policy tensions between his inner circle and GOP leadership. Her installation also reflects the ascendant nationalism within Trump's inner circle. She's an acolyte of Jeff Sessions and in her work at Breitbart hammering at illegal aliens she was in near constant contact with the Sessions office. She's close to the former Sessions aide, and now top Trump adviser, Stephen Miller.
