Trump's 2020 campaign kicks into high gear with several new hires, including ex-Fox News executive Bill Shine
- The Trump 2020 re-election campaign has made several key hires this week.
- Former White House Communications Director and ex-Fox News chief Bill Shine will be transitioning to the 2020 campaign.
- Trump faces a growing list of Democratic challengers, as well as the prospect of a Republican primary from a centrist candidate.
The 2020 re-election campaign for President Donald Trump is beefing up its operation as more Democratic challengers step forward, making several key hires in the past week.
With a wide-open Democratic field, the Trump campaign has to contend with a broad and diverse field of challengers, forcing staffers to develop an attack strategy they think can win in less than two years' time.
Earlier this week, the Trump campaign announced three new communications hires. Among them is Erin Perrine, a top spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Perrine will serve as deputy director of communications for "dealing with the press." Perrine has deep connections within the Capitol Hill press corps.
Zach Parkinson, most recently the Deputy Director of Government Communications in the White House, has been tapped to run the campaign's research operation.
And heading the rapid response operation is Matt Wolking, communications director for Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and former spokesman for the House Select Committee on Benghazi.
But the biggest hire by the Trump campaign came on Friday, when White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced that White House Communications Director and former Fox News chief Bill Shine would be departing the administration to take on a role with the campaign.
"Serving President Trump and this country has been the most rewarding experience of my entire life. To be a small part of all this President has done for the American people has truly been an honor," Shine said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to working on President Trump's reelection campaign and spending more time with my family."
Shine was the fifth White House communications director since Trump took office. But unlike the others who have served in the role who were either fired or left to join the private sector, Shine will advise the re-election fight.
Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager, said Shine is "an incredible professional and will bring insight and talent as we build a world-class campaign."
"He is a gifted communicator, strategic thinker and brings a wealth of experience from cable news and the White House," Parscale added. "The President's re-election effort just got stronger."
Trump is facing 2020 challengers from every angle
More than a dozen Democrats have jumped into the 2020 race, all looking to unseat Trump four years after he shocked the political world and defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
But Trump also faces the prospect of a primary challenger, which history has shown can derail a sitting president's re-election campaign.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, has been reported to be mulling a centrist primary challenge. In addition, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who was the Libertarian Party's 2016 vice presidential nominee, has launched an exploratory committee into challenging Trump on the GOP ticket.
Trump has considerably high favorability among Republican voters, according to many polls. But a primary challenge could upend a process that is typically a breeze for incumbent presidents.