Tony Sayegh
{{Short description|American political strategist and government official (born 1976)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tony Sayegh
| image = Tony Sayegh Official Portrait 2018.jpg
| office = United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs
| president = Donald Trump
| term_start = March 6, 2017
| term_end = May 2019
| predecessor = Victoria Esser
| successor = Monica Crowley
| birth_name = Tony Elias Sayegh Jr.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|10|29}}
| birth_place = New York City, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Republican
| education = George Washington University (BA, MPA)
}}
{{Trump-Ukraine scandal series}}
Tony Sayegh (born October 29, 1976, in Brooklyn, New York) served as a White House Senior Advisor for Strategy{{Cite web|url=https://www.hughhewitt.com/white-house-senior-advisor-for-strategy-tony-sayegh/|title=White House Senior Advisor For Strategy Tony Sayegh|last=|first=|date=November 25, 2019|website=HighHewitt.com|access-date=February 8, 2020}} until February 2020,{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} and is a former Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of the Treasury,{{Cite web|url=https://home.treasury.gov/about/general-information/officials|title=Officials {{!}} U.S. Department of the Treasury|website=home.treasury.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180922003643/https://home.treasury.gov/about/general-information/officials |archive-date=2018-09-22}}{{cite web |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/president-donald-j-trump-announces-key-administration-posts/|title=President Donald J. Trump Announces Key Administrative Posts |date=March 3, 2017|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|access-date=September 20, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Bowden |first1=John |title=Trump taps Monica Crowley to be Treasury spokeswoman |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/453416-trump-announces-monica-crowley-to-be-treasury-department-spokeswoman |access-date=July 23, 2019 |work=The Hill |date=July 16, 2019 |language=en |quote=Tony Sayegh, who left the agency in May.}} serving from March 6, 2017, to June 2019.{{Cite news |url=http://www.lohud.com/story/news/local/westchester/eastchester/2017/03/09/tony-sayegh-jr-trump-treasury-appointment/98942902/|title=Trump to Appoint Eastchester's Tony Sayegh Jr. to Treasury Job|last=Spillane|first=Matt|date=March 9, 2017|work=The Journal News|access-date=September 20, 2018}} He led the department's Office of Public Affairs. During the passage of the Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, Sayegh was detailed to the White House Office of Communications{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/22/trumps-team-and-lawmakers-making-strides-on-tax-reform-plan-241873|title=Trump's team and lawmakers making strides on tax reform plan|work=Politico|access-date=September 20, 2018|language=en |date=2017-08-22}} appearing numerous times in the media to promote the passage of comprehensive tax reform.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2017-12-22/treasury-s-sayegh-says-tax-bill-a-big-win-for-u-s-video|title=Treasury's Sayegh Says Tax Bill a Big Win For U.S.|website=bloomberg.com|access-date=September 20, 2018 |date=December 22, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://video.foxbusiness.com/v/video-embed.html?video_id=5652453761001&d=video.foxbusiness.com|title=Tony Sayegh on efforts to get a 'yes' on GOP tax reform {{!}} Fox Business Video - FoxBusiness.com|date=September 20, 2018|website=Fox Business|language=en-US|access-date=September 20, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://video.foxnews.com/v/5565874982001/|title=Treasury Department assistant secretary on tax reform push|date=September 5, 2017|website=Fox News|language=en-US|access-date=September 20, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5434675221001/?#sp=show-clips|title=Tony Sayegh on Trump's tax plan: We do believe big tax reform can get done|date=May 15, 2017|website=Fox Business|language=en-US|access-date=September 20, 2018}} Sayegh was a Republican strategist and contributor for the Fox News Channel prior to joining the administration,{{Cite web|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/04/27/tony-sayegh-trumps-tax-plan-boon-to-small-business.html|title=Tony Sayegh : Trump's tax Plan A Boon to Small Business|last=Limitone|first=Julia|date=April 27, 2017|access-date=September 20, 2018|work=Fox Business}} and served as Executive Vice President at Jamestown Associates{{Cite web|url=https://www.jamestownassociates.com/|title=Jamestown Associates|access-date=September 20, 2018}} from 2013 to 2017.
Early life and education
Sayegh's parents, Amale and Tony Sayegh, immigrated from Lebanon in the 1960s.{{Cite news |first=Tom |last=Schreck |title=Trump's Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Talks Westchester Origins |newspaper=Westchester Magazine |date=August 2017 |url=http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/August-2017/Man-of-the-People/}} He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he received a B.A. in political science and a Master of Public Administration.{{Cite web|url=https://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/Pages/Tony_Sayegh.aspx|title=Tony Sayegh|website=treasury.gov|language=en-us|access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180920195818/https://www.treasury.gov/about/organizational-structure/Pages/Tony_Sayegh.aspx}} Sayegh was elected Executive Vice President of the George Washington University Student Association and was awarded the Presidential Administrative Fellowship at the University.{{Cite web|url=https://paf.gwu.edu/tony-sayegh|title=Tony Sayegh {{!}} Presidential Fellowship {{!}} Enrollment and the Student Experience {{!}} The George Washington University|website=paf.gwu.edu|language=en|access-date=September 20, 2018}} He later served on the University Board of Trustees.{{Cite web|url=http://politics.georgetown.edu/tony-sayegh/|title=Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Services|access-date=September 20, 2018}}
Career
Sayegh served in numerous Republican Communications and Press roles, including for the 2000 Republican National Convention, Governor George Pataki and vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp.
In 2003, Sayegh was elected to public office, serving two terms as Deputy Mayor and Trustee for the Village of Tuckahoe, New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuckahoe.com/sites/tuckahoeny/files/minutes/february_12_2007_village_board_minutes.pdf|title=Tuckahoe Village Minutes|date=February 12, 2007|access-date=September 20, 2018}} He acted as liaison to the Police and Fire Departments, courts, and schools and managed the Intergovernmental relations portfolio for the Village Board.
Beginning in April 2009, Sayegh appeared as a regular guest on the Fox News Channel, where he represented his views as a Republican campaign strategist and political analyst.{{Cite news |first=Katie |last=McKenna |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/05/15/big-tax-reform-will-happen-this-year-treasurys-tony-sayegh.amp.html|title='Big' Tax Reform Will Happen This Year: Treasury's Tony Sayegh |website=Fox Business|date=May 15, 2015|access-date=September 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042721/https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/05/15/big-tax-reform-will-happen-this-year-treasurys-tony-sayegh.amp.html |archive-date=2017-12-01}} In January 2013, he became a Fox News Contributor, and appeared across multiple network platforms including the Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FoxNews.com and Fox News Radio.{{IMDb name|1091164}}. Retrieved September 20, 2018. Sayegh served as a Spring 2017 Georgetown University Institute of Politics Fellow.{{Cite web|url=http://politics.georgetown.edu/fellows/|title=Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service}} In addition to his role as a Fox News contributor,{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/12/21/tony-sayegh-right-way-forward-for-immigration-in-trump-administration.amp.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222043359/http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/12/21/tony-sayegh-right-way-forward-for-immigration-in-trump-administration.amp.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 22, 2016|title=Right Way Forward for Immigration in Trump Administration|last=Sayegh|first=Tony|date=December 21, 2016|work=Fox News}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/new-york/2014/10/19/astorino-governor/17501359/|title=A Lifetime in Politics|last=Matthews|first=Cara|date=October 19, 2014|website=The Journal News}} Sayegh maintained an active media portfolio, having served as a National Political Correspondent for Talk Radio News Service (now Talk Media News), based in Washington, D.C., and as a Republican analyst at Cablevision's News 12 Westchester / Hudson Valley.
Prior to his service in the Trump Administration, Sayegh served as Executive Vice President of Jamestown Associates, a nationally recognized political consulting and media advertising firm. His campaigns received industry recognition, including winning the 2014 Reed Award for "Most Original TV Advertisement" and the 2015 Reed Award for "Best Comparative Mail Piece".{{Cite web|url=https://www.campaignsandelections.com/campaign-insider/2015-reed-award-winners|title=2015 Reed Award Winners|date=January 24, 2015|website=Campaigns and Elections|access-date=September 20, 2018}} Jamestown Associates produced TV advertisements for the presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump.{{Cite web |url=https://www.jamestownassociates.com/news/2017/3/9/jamestowns-sayegh-konkus-dorr-and-henning-join-trump-administration|title=Jamestown's Sayegh, Konkus, Dorr, and Henning Join the Trump Administration|date=March 9, 2017|website=Jamestown Associates|access-date=September 20, 2018}}
Upon his departure from the Treasury in June 2019, Secretary Mnuchin awarded Sayegh with the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor bestowed by the department.
In September 2019 Sayegh joined Teneo, A global CEO advisory firm, as Managing Director working out of both the New York City and D.C. offices.{{cite press release |url=https://www.teneo.com/tony-sayegh-joins-teneo-as-a-managing-director/ |title=Tony Sayegh Joins Teneo as a Managing Director |date=September 9, 2019 |website=Teneo |language=en}}{{cite news |url=https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-am-8f55b102-b05a-471b-b2d2-bd711314a4d8.html?chunk=8#story8 |title=Tracking power: From Trump to Teneo |date=September 9, 2019 |work=Axios |department=Axios AM |language=en}}
In November 2019 Sayegh joined the White House staff as Senior Advisor for Strategy{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/a-look-inside-trumps-anti-impeachment-spin-factory/2019/12/04/7112a69a-1607-11ea-8406-df3c54b3253e_story.html |title=A look inside Trump's anti-impeachment spin factory |first=Sarah |last=Ellison |date=2019-12-04 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en |access-date=2020-04-27}} in what was expected to be a temporary position to help organize the response to the House impeachment inquiry.{{cite news |last1=Pettypiece |first1=Shannon |last2=Welker |first2=Kristen |title=White House to add staff for impeachment response |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/white-house-add-staff-impeachment-response-n1077761 |access-date=November 9, 2019 |work=NBC News |date=November 6, 2019 |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |title=Movie Nights, Camp David and Cable Messaging: A White House Impeachment Playbook |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/11/us/politics/trump-impeachment-war-room.html |access-date=December 12, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=December 11, 2019}}
In April 2020, President Trump appointed Sayegh to be a member of the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lohud.com/story/news/politics/2020/04/24/tony-sayegh-treasury-kennedy-center-for-the-performing-arts-white-house/3010456001/|title=Donald Trump taps Tuckahoe resident, former Treasury spokesman for Kennedy Center post|website=lohud.com|language=en|access-date=2020-04-27|date=2020-04-24}}
In July 2020, Sayegh was brought on as a consultant to help handle the Republican Convention.{{Cite news |last1=Grynbaum |first1=Michael M. |last2=Karni |first2=Annie |date=2020-08-24 |title=Republicans Rush to Finalize Convention ('Apprentice' Producers Are Helping) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/22/us/politics/republican-convention-preview.html |access-date=2020-10-09 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news |title=An 'Apprentice' producer and a TV-obsessed president: Inside the GOP's convention scramble |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/22/donald-trump-republican-convention-scramble-400222 |access-date=2020-10-09 |date=2020-08-22 |work=Politico |language=en}}{{Cite news|last=Karni|first=Annie|date=2020-09-02|title=Gettysburg? The Liberty Bell? Trump Weighs R.N.C. Speech Options|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/us/politics/trump-rnc-speech.html|access-date=2020-10-09|issn=0362-4331}} Sayegh, who had previously helped to steer the White House impeachment defense, was recruited to lead the programming for the four-day event.{{Cite news |title=How Trump went from a massive convention bash to no party at all |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/23/trump-convention-380996 |access-date=2020-10-09 |date=2020-07-23 |work=Politico |language=en}}
In 2024, The Wall Street Journal profiled Sayegh as the head of public affairs for a major TikTok investor and a prominent opponent of the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act.{{Cite news |last1=Wells |first1=Georgia |last2=Mattioli |first2=Dana |last3=Woo |first3=Stu |date=November 28, 2024 |title=How TikTok's Trump Whisperer Changed Minds in Washington |url=https://www.wsj.com/business/how-tiktoks-trump-whisperer-changed-minds-in-washington-08e52d9e |url-access=subscription |access-date=November 28, 2024 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}
Personal life
Sayegh and his wife, Maria (née Cermele), live in Eastchester, New York, with their four sons.{{Cite web|url=http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/August-2017/Man-of-the-People/|title=Trump's Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Talks Westchester Origins|last=Schreck|first=Tom|date=August 1, 2017|website=WestchesterMagazine.com|access-date=September 20, 2018}}