US President Donald Trump has roped in three Indian-Americans for key roles in his second term. Ricky Gill will take over responsibilities related to South and Central Asia in the National Security Council (NSC) as Senior Director. Saurabh Sharma has been appointed to the Office of Presidential Personnel, focusing on staffing and appointments.
Former journalist Kush Desai stepped down as deputy press secretary for a role in White House communications strategy.
Here’s a closer look at these appointments:
Ricky Gill
Ricky Gill, an expert on international relations, has returned to the National Security Council (NSC), where he previously served as director for Russia and European energy security during Trump’s first term. In addition to his work at the NSC, he served as a senior advisor in the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Building Operations.
After leaving administration, Mr. Gill led Gill Capital Group as Principal and General Counsel and worked as an advisor on European and Asian energy for TC Energy, the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline. Partially greenlit by Trump, the project was stopped by Joe Biden.
Born in Lodi, New Jersey, Mr. Gill received a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Saurabh Sharma
According to Politico, Bengaluru-born Saurabh Sharma most recently served as president of American Moment, a conservative organization focused on personnel development.
He graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019 with a degree in biochemistry. The same year, during Donald Trump’s first term, Mr. Sharma was among 10 student activists invited to the White House as the President signed an executive order banning the Who signed an executive order on free speech. College campus.
Kush Desai
Kush Desai, an experienced communicator, has played many leading roles in Republican campaigns and organizations. Most recently, he was the Deputy Communications Director for the 2024 Republican National Convention. Previously, he served as communications director for the Republican Party of Iowa.
Mr. Desai was also the Deputy Battleground States and Pennsylvania Communications Director at the Republican National Committee. In this position, he was instrumental in shaping the party’s message in key battleground states, including the ever-important Pennsylvania.
