Trump Aide Ja’Ron Smith, Highest-Ranking Black Staffer, Departs
- Departure was long-planned, and not due to election result
- Smith was tasked with building support among minority groups
Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/CNP/Bloomberg
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The highest-ranking Black person on Donald Trump’s White House staff, Ja’Ron Smith, has left his job.
Smith was a deputy assistant to the president and worked with senior adviser Jared Kushner. His departure had been long planned, and wasn’t dependent on Trump winning a second term, according to people familiar with the matter. He’ll be taking a job at a nonprofit in the coming weeks, they said. Smith has a growing family, with twins expected.