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Mark Meadows’ Shadow Job? Keep the Evangelicals on Board the Trump Train

Policy field

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Columbia University in the City of New York

Originally Published as: Anne Nelson "Mark Meadows’ Shadow Job? Keep the Evangelicals on Board the Trump Train", Daily Beast, April 24, 2020.

This month the White House confirmed that Donald Trump was assembling a new coronavirus task force to oversee the reopening of the economy, headed by his new chief of staff, former Rep. Mark Meadows. The announcement came amid Trump’s disputes with his medical task force, especially infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, over when to reopen the economy.

Meadows’ new task force will allow Trump to cite a second opinion on the matter—one that will, presumably, back him up. As chief of staff, Meadows is expected to advise the president on policy and political affairs, run interference with Trump family members, and mediate relationships on Capitol Hill.