Senate aide as his new Congress liaison

Trump picks a former Senate aide as his new Congress liaison

By ANDREW RESTUCCIA and BURGESS EVERETT

President Donald Trump has tapped Eric Ueland, a former Senate aide, to serve as his next legislative affairs director, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The decision comes as Trump's relationship with lawmakers is reaching a low point. The president has few major legislative prospects on the horizon and is facing off against House Democratic investigators.

But Ueland is widely viewed by Republican leaders as trustworthy and knowledgeable. He's expected to be a stable presence in an otherwise tumultuous relationship between the White House and Capitol Hill.

Ueland, a top official at the Domestic Policy Council, previously worked for the Senate Budget Committee and as chief of staff to former Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. He also served as a top adviser to Trump's presidential transition team. He was nominated for a senior position at the State Department in 2017, but the nomination was withdrawn a year later.

He will replace Shahira Knight, who left the White House last week.

Ueland was one of two top candidates for the job who Trump interviewed in the Oval Office late last month, and he had been seen as the leading contender.

A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Axios first reported the move.