The White House / U.S. Trade Representative
U.S. executive branch (Trump administration)
Background
The White House press office has existed in some form since the early 20th century and formalized into the Office of the Press Secretary, which briefs reporters and issues official statements on the president's behalf; it is part of the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President, created by Congress in 1939. The USTR was established by Congress in 1962 (originally the Office of the Special Trade Representative) to negotiate and coordinate U.S. trade policy, and its head is a Cabinet-level official confirmed by the Senate. Both offices' leadership and messaging turn over with each administration, so their tone and priorities shift with the sitting president. Under the second Trump administration (since January 2025), Karoline Leavitt serves as White House Press Secretary and Jamieson Greer — a former chief of staff to Robert Lighthizer in Trump's first term — serves as U.S. Trade Representative, confirmed February 27, 2025. Historically, both offices across administrations of both parties have been criticized by outside media and watchdog groups for selectively emphasizing favorable statistics, using advocacy-style framing, and at times making claims that independent fact-checkers have disputed. Content from these offices should be read as the administration advocating for and defending its own policies, including the Trump administration's tariff and trade actions, rather than as independent or neutral analysis.
Sources
- Ambassador Jamieson Greer - U.S. Trade Representative
- Jamieson Greer - Wikipedia
- White House Office of the Press Secretary - Wikipedia
- FY 2025 Executive Office of the President Congressional Budget Submission
Profile compiled 2026-10-02; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.