Hayley Harrison
{{Short description|American political aide}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Hayley Harrison
| image = Hayley Harrison, Chief of Staff to First Lady Melania Trump, on February 22, 2025, in the East Room of the White House (cropped).jpg
| caption = Harrison in 2025
| office = Chief of Staff to the First Lady of the United States
| president = Donald Trump
| 1blankname = First Lady
| 1namedata = Melania Trump
| term_start = January 20, 2025
| term_end =
| predecessor = Anthony Bernal
| successor =
| birth_name = Hayley D'Antuono
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party =
| spouse =
| children =
| education = Elon University (BA)
}}
Hayley Harrison (née D'Antuono) is an American political aide who is the current chief of staff to the first lady of the United States. She is serving under Melania Trump during her second tenure as first lady. Harrison previously held roles within the first presidency of Donald Trump, including as Melania Trump’s director of operations and as a special assistant to the president.
Early life and education
Harrison was raised in Alexandria, Virginia. She attended Bishop Ireton High School, where she played varsity lacrosse. Harrison later attended Elon University, where she was a member of the Phi Mu fraternity and received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. While there, she coauthored a study entitled "Gender Differences in Student Perceptions of Literacy Activities", which was presented at the 26th annual Convention of the Association for Psychological Science.{{cite web |last1=Epting |first1=Kim |title=Kim Epting presents research at psychology conference |url=https://www.elon.edu/u/news/2014/06/03/kim-epting-presents-research-at-psychology-conference/ |website=Today at Elon |date=3 June 2014 |access-date=22 January 2025}}
Career
Harrison began her career in politics as an office manager and scheduler for U.S. representative John Ratcliffe, where she worked for over two years.{{Cite web |last=Baver |first=Heather |date=2024-11-26 |title=Melania Trump's New Chief Of Staff Hayley Harrison Has Shady Past With Donald |url=https://www.thelist.com/1722992/melania-trump-new-chief-of-staff-hayley-harrison-trump-classified-docs/ |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=The List |language=en-US}} In March 2017, she transitioned to a role as scheduler for U.S. first lady Melania Trump, following a recommendation from Ratcliffe. Over the course of Donald Trump’s presidency, she received multiple promotions, eventually serving in a dual role as Melania Trump’s director of operations and as a special assistant to the president.
After leaving the White House in January 2021, Harrison continued to work for Melania Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago.{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Kate |date=2021-01-27 |title=Melania Trump hires staff and establishes post-White House office |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/27/politics/melania-trump-post-white-house/index.html |access-date=2024-12-03 |website=CNN |language=en}} Both she and her husband, William "Beau" Harrison, remained part of the Trump family’s inner circle, receiving compensation through the Save America political action committee.{{Cite news |last=Ramaswamy |first=Swapna Venugopal |date=November 22, 2024 |title=Melania Trump appoints longtime aide Hayley Harrison as her chief of staff |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/22/melania-trump-hayley-harrison-chief-of-staff/76506971007/ |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}} Hayley Harrison was paid between $8,000 and $10,000 per month, while her husband received similar compensation until late 2023.{{Cite news |last=Kukreti |first=Shweta |date=November 23, 2024 |title=Melania Trump names Hayley Harrison as first major hire for second term in White House |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/melania-trump-names-hayley-harrison-as-first-major-hire-for-second-term-in-white-house-she-will-oversee-and-manage-101732351314503.html |access-date=2024-11-23 |work=Hindustan Times}}
Harrison’s role in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case emerged publicly in 2022, when she was identified as "Trump Employee 1" in a federal indictment. The indictment detailed her involvement in managing the location of various items, including classified materials, at the estate.{{Cite news |last1=Faulders |first1=Katherine |last2=Santucci |first2=John |last3=Mallin |first3=Alexander |date=June 28, 2023 |title=Top Trump campaign aide identified as key individual in classified docs indictment: Sources |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/top-trump-campaign-aide-identified-key-individual-classified/story?id=100452600 |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=ABC News |language=en}} Text messages attributed to her revealed discussions about using alternative spaces, such as a bathroom shower, for storage purposes. The case was ultimately dismissed in 2024.
On November 22, 2024, Melania Trump announced Harrison’s appointment as chief of staff to the first lady of the United States for her second tenure.{{Cite news |last=Kilander |first=Gustaf |date=2024-11-22 |title=Melania Trump announces first big hire for second stint as first lady |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/hayley-harrison-melania-trump-chief-of-staff-b2652220.html |access-date=2024-11-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}} In this role, Harrison is tasked with overseeing the East Wing’s operations and serving as a strategic liaison with other parts of the government. This appointment represents the first major staffing decision of Melania Trump’s second term as first lady.
References
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{{Chiefs of Staff to the First Lady of the United States}}
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Category:Place of birth missing (living people)
Category:American political consultants
Category:Women in Florida politics
Category:First Trump administration personnel
Category:Second Trump administration personnel
Category:21st-century American women
Category:Chiefs of staff to the first lady of the United States