Dan Scavino, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, is set to take on an expanded role in President Donald Trump’s administration, as announced on Sunday by the president.
In addition to his current role, Scavino will now oversee the White House Presidential Personnel Office. This position was formerly occupied by Sergio Gor, who is transitioning to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to India.
Trump expressed his pleasure on Truth Social, stating, “I am thrilled to announce that the exceptional Dan Scavino will head the White House Presidential Personnel Office, while continuing his duties as Deputy Chief of Staff, succeeding Sergio Gor who has done a fantastic job and is now the Ambassador to India.”
“Dan will take charge of selecting and appointing nearly all government positions, a critical and significant responsibility. Congratulations, Dan! I am confident you will excel in this role!” he added.
Scavino’s new role arises amidst ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and Democrats as the government shutdown continues.
Trump’s allies have highlighted the inaction of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, pointing to his unwillingness to cooperate with Republicans.
In an effort to address potential fallout, President Trump ordered War Secretary Pete Hegseth to ensure that military personnel receive their pay next week, despite the ongoing shutdown.
Trump commented on Truth Social, stating, “Chuck Schumer recently claimed, ‘Every day is getting better’ amidst their Radical Left Shutdown. I DISAGREE! If no action is taken, due to ‘Leader’ Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, our Brave Troops will miss their rightful paychecks on October 15th.”
He instructed Hegseth to “utilize all available funds to ensure our Troops are PAID by October 15th. We have identified funding for this, and Secretary Hegseth will use those funds to PAY OUR TROOPS.”
The government shutdown began on October 1 when Democrats and Republicans could not come to an agreement on a spending bill, with Democrats worried that expiring Affordable Care Act tax cuts could result in higher premiums and Medicaid cuts could leave many without coverage.