Mercedes Schlapp
Mercedes Schlapp is an American communications specialist and political commentator for both English and Spanish media. She has served in two presidential administrations as director of specialty media under George W. Bush and as White House Director of Strategic Communications in the Trump administration from September 2017 to July 2019. She went on to work on the Donald [Trump 2020 presidential campaign|Trump 2020 re-election campaign] as senior advisor for strategic communications.
She is also co-founder of Cove Strategies, and advises media strategy for corporate and nonprofit organizations.
Personal life
Schlapp is a first-generation Cuban-American born in Florida, the younger sister of educator José Alejandro Viana. She is married to Matt Schlapp, the chair of the American Conservative Union. The Schlapps have five daughters.Schlapp credits her interest in politics to her father, who was a political prisoner in 1960s Cuba under the regime of Fidel Castro.
Education
Schlapp earned a bachelor's degree from Florida International University in 1994 and a master of public administration from George Washington University. In December 2019 she was awarded an FIU Medallion—Outstanding Alumna for her achievements.Career
Campaigns and Bush administration
Schlapp worked on local and national political campaigns, as well as the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns for George W. Bush, and was Director of Specialty Media in his administration.Schlapp also worked as senior advisor for strategic communications on the Trump reelection campaign in 2020.
Media
Schlapp has been a Fox News contributor and a columnist for several publications including U.S. News & World Report and The Washington Times. On Newsmax TV, she was a regular co-host of Prime News with Jenn Pellegrino until it ended December 31, 2023, and she is currently on the panel of The Right Squad.Media Strategy
Together with her husband Schlapp founded Cove Strategies, a media strategy and lobbying firm based in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2009. According to Open Secrets, the firm performs services mainly in the areas of telecommunications, trade, and health issues and earned greater income during the Trump administration than it did during the Obama administration.NRA
She was a board member of the National Rifle Association of America before joining the White House. She was an aid consultant at the NRA, earning $60,000 from the NRA in 2015, and $45,000 in 2016, according to NRA tax filings.Trump administration
On September 12, 2017, President Donald Trump's administration announced that Schlapp would serve as Director of Strategic Communications. During her time with the Trump Administration, Schlapp focused on issues such as school safety, opioids, infrastructure and trade. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Schlapp made numerous statements that were strongly critical of Trump.Schlapp attracted attention when she and her husband left the White House Correspondents Dinner early in April 2018, saying that she was disgusted by comedian Michelle Wolf's jokes aimed at Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. In a limousine en route to an exclusive NBC/MSNBC afterparty, she tweeted that Wolf's comedy routine is "why America hates the out of touch leftist media elite".
In May 2018, Schlapp defended White House aide Kelly Sadler after she joked that John McCain's opposition to CIA Director nominee Gina Haspel was irrelevant because "he’s dying anyway".