Highlights:
When singer Ariane Grande reshared an Instagram post questioning Donald Trump's presidency and its toll on immigrants, the transgender community, and free speech, she likely didn't expect such a pointed response from the White House.
But the reply came swiftly from Kush Desai, Trump's newly appointed Deputy Press Secretary, "Save your tears, Ariana, because President Trump’s actions ended Joe Biden’s inflation crisis and are bringing in trillions in new investments… He even signed an executive order just like magic that paved the way for the FTC to crack down on Ticketmaster for ripping off Ariana Grande’s concert-going fans. Get well soon, Ariana!”
So, who exactly is Kush Desai, the man behind this sharp reply?
An Indian-American with roots in Gujarat, Desai is a Dartmouth College graduate fluent in both English and Gujarati. At Dartmouth, he was awarded the James O Freedman Presidential Research Scholarship, marking him as a promising voice early on. His career began in journalism at The Daily Caller, but by 2018, he had transitioned into politics, joining the Republican National Committee (RNC) as a research analyst.
Desai's rise was steady. He became the RNC's Director of Vetting, then Iowa Communications Director, before serving as Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa until early 2024. His role expanded on the national stage as Deputy Communications Director at the 2024 Republican National Convention and later as Deputy Battleground States and Pennsylvania Communications Director, where he shaped messaging in one of Trump's most critical winning states.
In January 2025, Desai was formally brought into the White House as Deputy Press Secretary, working under the Office of Communications overseen by Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich. His job: sharpen Trump's messaging, defend the administration's policies, and take on critics, whether they are political opponents or global pop stars.
Grande has long been vocal in her politics, publicly supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election and Bernie Sanders in the 2020 primaries, while also speaking out for LGBTQ+ rights and against US deportation policies. But with Desai now at the podium, her criticisms are unlikely to go unanswered.
