Mercedes Schlapp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mercedes Schlapp
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|---|---|
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| 2nd White House Director of Strategic Communications | |
| In office September 12, 2017 – July 1, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Leader | Hope Hicks Bill Shine |
| Preceded by | Hope Hicks |
| Succeeded by | Alyssa Farah |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mercedes Viana
December 27, 1972 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Matt Schlapp
(m. 2002) |
| Education | Florida International University (BA) George Washington University (MPA) |
Mercedes Schlapp (born Mercedes Viana on December 27, 1972) is an American political commentator and expert in communications. She has worked for two U.S. presidents and is often seen on TV news shows, speaking in both English and Spanish.
She worked for President George W. Bush as a director of specialty media. Later, she served as the White House Director of Strategic Communications for President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2019. After leaving the White House, she worked on President Trump's 2020 re-election campaign.
Mercedes Schlapp also started a company called Cove Strategies with her husband. The company helps businesses and other groups with their media plans.
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Personal Life and Background
Mercedes Schlapp is a first-generation Cuban-American. This means her parents were the first in her family to be born in Cuba and move to the United States. She was born in Florida and has an older brother, José Alejandro Viana, who is an educator.
She is married to Matt Schlapp, who is the chairman of the American Conservative Union. Together, they have five daughters.
Schlapp has said that her interest in politics comes from her father. He was held as a political prisoner in Cuba in the 1960s because he disagreed with the government of Fidel Castro.
Education
Schlapp went to college at Florida International University and earned a bachelor's degree in 1994. She later earned a master's degree in public administration from George Washington University.
In 2019, Florida International University gave her a special award called the FIU Medallion—Outstanding Alumna for her career success.
Career in Politics and Media
Working on Campaigns
Schlapp has a long history of working in politics. She helped with local and national campaigns. She was part of the presidential campaigns for George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004. During his presidency, she worked as the Director of Specialty Media.
In 2020, she was a senior advisor for strategic communications for President Donald Trump's re-election campaign.
Appearing on Television
Schlapp has been a contributor for Fox News and has written columns for newspapers like U.S. News & World Report and The Washington Times.
She also co-hosted a show called Prime News on Newsmax TV. She is currently a panelist on the show The Right Squad.
Trump Administration
On September 12, 2017, President Donald Trump announced that Schlapp would be his White House Director of Strategic Communications. In this role, she helped share the president's messages with the public. She focused on important topics like school safety, trade, and building new roads and bridges.
In April 2018, Schlapp and her husband left the White House Correspondents Dinner early. She said she was upset by some of the jokes a comedian made about Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Political Views
Schlapp has shared her political opinions on different issues. For example, she is against same-sex marriage. She once said that President Barack Obama's support for it was a "political ploy," or a move made for political reasons.
