Washington DC, April 11 -- In a high-stakes personnel shift ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) announced that James Blair, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political, and Public Affairs, will take a temporary leave of absence to helm the administration's outside political operations.

The move signals the President Trump's aggressive strategy to defy historical mid-term trends and solidify Republican control of Congress.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "James Blair, my Deputy Chief of Staff, is one of the brightest political minds in the Country who has done tremendous work to prepare Republicans to DEFY LONGSTANDING HISTORY AND WIN the Midterms, just as he h...