2026年10月16日 美国东部时间上午8:02 / 福克斯新闻网
詹姆斯·布雷德将卸任白宫立法事务主任一职，他在过去两年中协助制定了美国政策
作者：伊丽莎白·埃尔金德 福克斯新闻网
发布于2026年10月16日 美国东部时间上午8:02
艾米丽·康帕尼奥：特朗普必须明确，保留国会共和党多数将推进其议程
《五人组》联合主持人讨论唐纳德·特朗普总统在2026年中期选举倒计时阶段赴多州开展竞选活动。
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独家报道： 全美范围内，过去两年里几乎没有人像詹姆斯·布雷德这样深刻影响美国历史进程，却又如此鲜为人知。
全美数百万民众可能没听过这个名字，但在华盛顿特区，布雷德无论从字面还是象征意义上都不容忽视。他身高6英尺6英寸，在白宫和国会山推动唐纳德·特朗普总统立法议程的日子里，留下了深刻印记。
而正是这位身影，助力特朗普推动多项立法成果落地，从废除拜登时期的政策到通过特朗普标志性的税改法案，直到本周二——这一天也是布雷德作为立法事务办公室主任的最后工作日。他在一次罕见专访中告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，这份工作的“看家本领”就是“在万般困境中保持谨慎乐观”。
从外界看来，作为特朗普在国会山的密友绝非易事，尤其是当这位总统会公开点名批评反对其议程的议员时。例如最近，他就因参议员汤姆·科顿（R-阿肯色州）反对一项将夏令时永久化的法案，公开了对方的私人电话号码。
詹姆斯·布雷德、众议员比尔·惠曾加（R-密歇根州）、议长迈克·约翰逊（R-路易斯安那州）与一名助手在白宫站在唐纳德·特朗普总统身旁。（白宫供图）
特朗普因受阻法案震怒，在社交平台公布共和党参议员电话号码
但布雷德坚称，特朗普的人际交往能力最终能化解这些摩擦，并称赞“他有着非凡的能力，前一天还能进行一场艰难对话，转天就能一起打高尔夫球”。
“与议员的任何关系中都存在互谅互让，有时紧张局势会带来一方的妥协，”布雷德说，“但你要知道……一条错误的真相社交平台帖子，或是一次尖锐的批评，并不足以毁掉一段关系。”
但部分共和党人与总统的关系似乎从未恢复，比如参议院少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔（R-肯塔基州）与特朗普就向来不和。
布雷德表示，与他人合作的关键始终是坦诚表明白宫的诉求。
“我们能够做到公正斡旋，以各种方式为这些议员争取利益，”他说。
但无论特朗普是否亲自在场，他的影响力都依然笼罩着国会。
一位熟悉布雷德工作的高级政府官员告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，归根结底，“除了特朗普总统本人，没有人能代表他”。
这位官员表示，特朗普以“在推动其议程的每一个关键立法节点都亲力亲为”而闻名。
布雷德还透露，他也会密切关注某些投票情况。
“每次重大投票后，他总想知道议员们如何投票。他清楚每位议员的立场，”布雷德补充道，特朗普“最终也明白，国会中的共和党议员绝大多数都会投支持他的票”。
但布雷德承认，过去两年他面临诸多挑战，尤其是被称为“宏伟美好法案”的大规模税收与政策法案。
数百万美国人在报税季使用特朗普减税政策，退税金额超3400美元
众议院筹款委员会主席杰森·史密斯（R-密苏里州）、众议员尼克·朗沃思、众议院能源与商务委员会主席布雷特·格思里（R-肯塔基州）、议长迈克·约翰逊（R-路易斯安那州）、詹姆斯·布雷德与众议院金融服务委员会主席弗伦奇·希尔（R-阿肯色州）在白宫站在唐纳德·特朗普总统身旁。（白宫供图）
他回忆起有一天坐在办公室里，“我看着电视上的四画面分割器，每个字幕都是‘共和党大型法案陷入困境’的变体。没错，我的意思是，每个时刻局势都岌岌可危。每一刻，法案的推进都岌岌可危”。
他回忆起弗吉尼亚州斯特林高尔夫俱乐部的一场特别会议，当时他、特朗普、行政管理和预算局局长拉塞尔·沃特以及时任副幕僚长詹姆斯·布莱尔正与参议院共和党持异议议员就该法案进行会谈。
共和党财政鹰派对“失控”联邦开支敲响警钟，称“两党都辜负了我们”
“我们和兰德·保罗（R-肯塔基州）参议员、罗恩·约翰逊（R-威斯康星州）参议员、里克·斯科特（R-佛罗里达州）参议员坐在一起，还有我、布莱尔、拉塞尔和总统，他们端来了大量食物，”布雷德回忆道，“我记得桌上大概有四张披萨，还有22根热狗，供五个人食用，但没人吃。我们就政府的整体融资策略争论了两个小时，下午就这样慢慢过去了。”
不过最终，该法案在众议院和参议院获得通过——布雷德将此归功于政府官员和国会领导人。
“共和党领导层上下为推动该法案通过所付出的坚定承诺，基本上是靠决心促成了此事，”他说。
詹姆斯·布雷德与战争部长皮特·赫格塞斯在白宫并肩而立。（白宫供图）
当被问及过去两年工作中最美好的一天时，他提到了特朗普签署该法案的那天：“我想说，是7月4日在白宫，和我的儿子以及众议院议长一起，在夏日阳光下，见证总统签署这项共和党国内政策最重要的法案。”
国会高层领导人称赞布雷德是共和党议程的关键支持者。
“詹姆斯是个十足的专业人士，也是众议院共和党议员最棒的队友之一，”众议院多数党党鞭汤姆·埃默（R-明尼苏达州）表示，“他花时间了解我们的议员，并掌握了众议院共和党会议独特的动态。”
参议院多数党领袖约翰·图恩（R-南达科他州）称布雷德是其团队“出色的合作伙伴”。
“我感谢他为国家付出的 dedicated 服务，祝他和家人开启新篇章一切顺利，”图恩说。
沃特称布雷德是“为总统在国会山推进其议程的雄狮”。
副总统JD·万斯曾在布雷德担任其立法主任期间与其共事，后来两人一同进入白宫，他告诉福克斯新闻数字频道，布雷德“极其聪明、高效，是无可比拟的勤奋工作者”。
“从我担任参议员任期之初，他就一直陪伴着我，经历了每一场斗争，将其才能带到了总统的第二任期，自那以来，他在每一项政策工作中都发挥了核心作用，”万斯说。
詹姆斯·布雷德、国土安全部部长马克韦·马伦、战争部长皮特·赫格塞斯、办公厅主任苏西·怀尔斯与白宫助理娜塔莉·哈普在椭圆形办公室注视着唐纳德·特朗普总统。（白宫供图）
如今他即将离任，一位接受福克斯新闻数字频道采访的高级政府官员表示，鉴于多年来在国会山和白宫的辛劳工作，他们预计布雷德将在政府外寻找工作。
至于布雷德本人，他谈及未来计划时表示：“我甚至很难想象不做这份工作的样子，但归根结底，我知道（凯蒂·贝利）会做得很好……不过没错，我会花点时间，试着规划一下下一步。”
布雷德的前副立法事务主任贝利将接任该职位。
他用两点总结了给继任者的建议。
点击此处下载福克斯新闻APP
“第一，你必须对自己关注的目标毫不留情，摒除干扰，将当日议题推进到位，呈交到总统办公桌前，”他说，“第二，通常情况下，局势看起来会相当严峻，但我们通常都能挺过去，要保持乐观。”
伊丽莎白·埃尔金德是福克斯新闻数字频道的政治记者，负责众议院的报道。此前曾在《每日邮报》和哥伦比亚广播公司新闻发表过数字报道。
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Trump’s Capitol Hill whisperer reveals secrets to president’s dealmaking as he heads for exit
October 16, 2026 8:02am EDT / Fox News
James Braid departs as White House legislative affairs director after two years helping shape US policy
By Elizabeth Elkind, Fox News
Published October 16, 2026 8:02am EDT
Emily Compagno: Trump needs to make clear that keeping Congress in GOP hands will advance his agenda
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EXCLUSIVE:There are few people in the United States who have more significantly shaped the course of American history over the last two years, while remaining as little-known as James Braid.
Millions of Americans across the country may not be familiar with the name, but in Washington, D.C., Braid is hard to miss both literally and figuratively. At 6 feet, 6 inches tall, he cast a tall shadow during his days at the White House and on Capitol Hill pushing President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
And that shadow has been responsible for helping push numerous legislative successes for Trump over the finish line, from rolling back Biden-era policies to passing Trump’s signature tax policy bill, until Tuesday — which marked Braid’s last day as director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. The “stock-in-trade” of the job, he told Fox News Digital in a rare interview, “is cautious optimism in the face of all odds.”
From the outside, being Trump’s whisperer on Capitol Hill does not look like an easy job, particularly when the president is known to personally call out lawmakers who oppose his agenda. Recently, for example, he publicized the personal phone number of Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., over his opposition to a bill making daylight saving time permanent.
James Braid, Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and an aide stand before President Donald Trump at the White House.(White House)
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But Braid insisted that Trump’s people skills ultimately meant those dust-ups came out of the wash and lauded “his extraordinary capacity to have a tough conversation one day and play a round of golf the next.”
“There’s always a give-and-take in any relationship with a legislator, and sometimes there’s a give as a result of, you know, tension,” Braid said. “But you know … one errant Truth [Social post], or one critical Truth, does not a relationship make.”
But some Republicans’ relationships with the president never seemed to recover, like in the case of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has no love lost with Trump.
Braid said the key to working with people was always being straightforward about what the White House wants.
“We’ve been able to be honest brokers and deliver for a lot of these members in different ways,” he said.
But Trump’s presence still looms large in Congress whether he’s there in person or not.
A senior administration official familiar with Braid’s work told Fox News Digital that ultimately, “No one speaks for President Trump except for President Trump.”
The official said Trump is known to be “hands-on at every critical legislative juncture” that pushes his agenda forward.
And Braid revealed that he keeps tabs on certain votes, as well.
“He always wants to know how people are voting after every major vote. He knows where people are,” Braid said, adding that Trump “ultimately knows that Republicans in Congress overwhelmingly vote with him.”
But Braid admitted he has faced long odds over his last two years, particularly with the vast tax-and-policy package nicknamed the Big, Beautiful Bill.
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House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., Rep. Nick Langworthy, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., James Braid and House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill, R-Ark., stand before President Donald Trump.(White House)
He recalled sitting in his office one day, “I looked at the quad on the TV, and every single chyron is some variation of ‘GOP megabill in trouble.’ And yeah, I mean, there’s certainly, at every moment, it was tenuous. At every moment, the thread was fraying.”
One specific scenario he recalled took place at Sterling Golf Club in Virginia, where he, Trump, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought and then-deputy chief of staff James Blair were meeting with Senate Republican holdouts on the legislation.
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“We’re sitting there with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., me, Blair, Russ and the president, and they’re bringing out these heaps of food,” Braid recalled. “I think there’s something like four pizzas on the table and maybe 22 hot dogs for five guys, none of them were eating. And it’s just, I mean, we, I think we argued about the administration’s overall funding strategy for two hours as the afternoon wore on.”
Ultimately, however, the bill passed the House and Senate — for which Braid credited both administration officials and congressional leaders.
“The level of commitment that was there and present from the leadership across the Republican Party to get this thing done, basically willed it into being,” he said.
James Braid stands alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth inside the White House.(White House)
He referenced the day Trump signed the bill when asked about his best day on the job over the last two years: “I would say July 4th in the White House with my son and the speaker of the House in the summer sunshine, watching the president sign the most significant piece of Republican domestic policy legislation.”
Top congressional leaders hailed Braid as a critical champion of the GOP agenda.
“James is a total pro and one of House Republicans’ greatest teammates,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said. “He took the time to get to know our members and master the unique dynamics of the House Republican Conference.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., called Braid a “tremendous partner” for his conference.
“I’m grateful for his dedicated service to our country, and I wish him and his family all the best with their next chapter,” Thune said.
Vought called Braid a “lion for the president in delivering his agenda on the Hill.”
And Vice President JD Vance, who hired Braid as his legislative director before both ascended to the White House, told Fox News Digital that he is “incredibly brilliant, effective and a hard worker without compare.”
“He has been with me since the start of my Senate term, where he was with me for every fight and brought his talents to the president’s second term, where he has played a central role in every single policy effort since,” Vance said.
James Braid, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Susie Wiles, and White House aide Natalie Harp look on at President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.(White House)
Now that he is departing, the senior administration official who spoke with Fox News Digital said they expect Braid to find work outside the government after years of grinding on Capitol Hill and the White House.
As for Braid, he said of his next move, “It’s hard for me to even think about not doing this job, but at the end of the day, I know [Katie Bailey is] going to do great … but yeah, I’ll take a little time and try to figure out what’s next.”
Bailey, Braid’s former deputy director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, is now taking over the job.
He summed up his advice to his successor in two bullet points.
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“Number one, you have to be ruthless in what you’re focused on and tune out the distractions to get the issue of the day over the line and onto the president’s desk,” he said. “Number two, invariably, the situation feels pretty grave, but usually we muddle through, and to remain optimistic.”
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com