President Trump announced Saturday night that he had appointed Katie Bailey director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, promoting the office's deputy for the Senate to be the administration's chief liaison to Congress less than a month before midterm elections that will decide which party controls it.

"After previously working on Capitol Hill, Katie understands how the Executive and Legislative Branches of Government can most effectively work together to achieve Great Success for the American People," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Bailey, he added, "will be fantastic, and work tirelessly with Congress to pass Bills."

The president credited her with a hand in the Senate confirmations of members of his Cabinet, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton. CBS News, citing multiple sources, reported that Trump offered Bailey the job on Friday and that she accepted.

She replaces James Braid, whom Trump described as his "longest tenured" legislative affairs director. Braid "has done a fabulous job, and is now going into the private sector, where he will be very successful," the president wrote.

Braid's exit had been announced weeks earlier. He was once JD Vance's top policy aide and deputy chief of staff in the Senate, and the vice president has called the post "one of the toughest jobs in the entire Administration." Vance credited Braid with "a critical role in all of the administration's achievements in Congress," listing among them the "largest tax cut ever," resources for the president's immigration agenda and the border wall, "a landmark first crypto bill" and "the fastest confirmation of the cabinet in decades." Braid said at the time that he was "profoundly grateful" to Trump and Vance.

Bailey held a series of legislative jobs on Capitol Hill, most recently as legislative director to Mike Braun of Indiana through his six-year Senate term, which ended in January 2025 after he was elected the state's governor.

Republicans hold slim majorities in both the House and the Senate, and CBS News noted that both chambers could fall to Democrats. NBC News wrote that steering the president's legislative priorities through Congress could become harder if Republicans fail to keep their majorities.

Her appointment came a day after Trump named Katie Zacharia his new White House press secretary.