Marie Claire Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Fashion Month
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career Money
    • Health Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes amp; Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • NYFW
    • Life In Plastic
    • Cari Champion
    • New Books
    • Postpartum Psychosis
    1. Politics

    5 Things You Need to Know About Melania Trump's New Chief of Staff, Lindsay Reynolds

    She's a White House veteran.

    By Kayleigh Roberts
    Published 3 February 2017 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    melania-trump
    (Image credit: Archives)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    First Lady Melania Trump continues to round out her White House staff. This time, she has announced her chief of staff, Lindsay Reynolds. Here's what you need to know about the woman who will be Melania's top staffer at the White House.

    1. She's a veteran of the Bush administration.

    This won't be Reynolds' first time in the White House. She's a veteran of the Bush administration, having served as associate director of the White House Visitors Office under George W. Bush. Reynolds will likely put her background in the Visitors Office to good use right away. The Trump administration has yet to put anyone in charge of the office, and Reynolds said in a statement that staffing it is a top priority for her and the first lady's staff.

    She explained that she is "working to ensure that the White House Visitors Office is fully staffed and operational and ready to accept tour requests for the public in the coming weeks."

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    2. She has deep ties to the GOP establishment.

    According to the Washington Post, Reynolds has deep ties to the Republican establishment and serves as a link between the Trump administration and the "old guard of the GOP." Her biggest link to the GOP establishment comes in the form of her father-in-law, Republican fundraiser Mercer Reynolds. Mercer Reynolds served as the national finance chair for Bush's 2004 reelection campaign and later as one of the finance co-chairs for John McCain.

    "I would be silly to say that I'm not associated with the Republican side," Lindsay told Cincy Magazine. "I think everybody knows that (about the family's links to the Republicans), but we're willing to do anything." She is married to James Mercer Reynolds, who handles property management for the company that oversees Mercer Plantation in Georgia, according to Cincy Magazine.

    You may like
    • A photo of Nikki Ogunnaike with an inset photo of Lindsay Hubbard and text reading Money. Power. Style. Nice Talk with Nikki Ogunnaike Where Lindsay Hubbard's Famous Confidence Really Comes From
    • A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit. Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    • Michelle, Barack, Sasha, and Malia Obama wore coordinating outfits to the Barack Obama Presidential Center Opening How the Obama Family Coordinates Outfits Far Beyond the White House

    Reynolds was involved in Cincinnati's bid to host the Republican National Convention, as project manager of the Cincinnati Host Committee. The 2016 Republican National Convention was ultimately held in Cleveland.

    "Lindsay has deep experience of the inner workings of the White House, she's a natural leader, and she already knows the Trump family through her work on the presidential debates and the Republican convention," Lea Berman, a former White House social secretary under George W. Bush, said.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    3. She has experience in education and event planning.

    Before joining the Bush administration in 2004, Reynolds taught third grade in Ohio. After leaving the White House the first time, Reynolds returned to Ohio to form an event planning business with friends. The official statement announcing her new role highlighted her event planning experience, saying she "brings over fourteen years of experience in political fundraising, event management, and logistical expertise" to her new position.

    4. She'll be Melania's representative in Washington, D.C. for the time being.

    While some appointees to the FLOTUS' team, like Chief Strategist Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, will reportedly work with the first lady in New York leading up to her move to Washington later this year, Reynolds is expected to set up shop in the East Wing of the White House right away. This will leave her responsible for representing the first lady in Washington, at least until her move at the end of the school year.

    5. She'll be a key part of the FLOTUS' staff.

    As chief of staff, Reynolds will be a key member of Melania Trump's White House team. In fact, she'll be her top staffer and in charge of managing the first lady's day-to-day schedule.

    "The first lady is thoughtfully selecting her team, establishing the office of the first lady and supporting her husband President Trump," Reynolds said in a statement.

    Historically, the first lady has been responsible for hostessing duties at the White House, particularly at official events like state dinners. In recent years, first ladies have also championed causes close to their hearts, often (but not always) related to children or women's issues. Melania has indicated an interest in working to combat cyberbullying during her time as first lady.

    Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.

    Explore More
    Donald Trump Republican Party
    Kayleigh Roberts
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Editor at Marie Claire

    Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

    Read more
    A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit.
    Politics Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    By Noor Ibrahim
    Michelle Obama was spotted attending Celine Dion’s concert in Paris, where she made a stylish appearance in a Diotima dress and carried a Liffner bag
    Celebrity Style Michelle Obama Hops on Fall 2026's Suede Bag Trend
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    India Hicks walking behind Lady Pamela Hicks in a wheelchair at Queen Elizabeth#039;s funeral
    Royals India Hicks Shares the Detail She'll "Never Forget" About Queen Elizabeth's Funeral
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate Middleton has long wavy brown hair and wears a black polo neck sweater with a brown blazer
    Royals One Royal Has Become "Very Close" to Princess Kate
    By Amy Mackelden
     
     
    Latest in Politics
    collage of gloria Steinem
    Politics Gloria Steinem "Passes Away Peacefully" at 92
    Black-and-white three-panel collage of mothers holding and cuddling their babies.
    Politics We Asked Women to Share Private Texts, Searches, and Notes From Their Darkest Postpartum Days
     
     
    A portrait of Jessica Tarlov seated outdoors in a teal pantsuit.
    Politics Fox News’s Favorite Nasty Woman
    lisitng
    Politics Anti-Trans Legislation Isn't About "Protecting Girls"—It's About Distracting Us From What Matters
     
     
    Latest in Features
    a yellow blowdryer held up by a white hand on a golden brown background with two photos of women with blowdried hair
    Hair Little Did I Know the Key to Getting More Volume In My Fine Hair Was a New Blow Dryer
    women sweating and working out next to electrolyte powders
    Wellness Electrolyte Powders Are Everywhere—But Do You Really Need Them?
     
     
    A split image of author R.F. Kuang, resting her head on her hand while sitting with her shoulder propped on a restaurant booth table, next to the cover art for #039;Taipei Story.#039;
    Books R.F. Kuang Shares Her Favorite Reads About the “Hilarious Friction” of Learning a Language
    a grid design with three manicures and three bottles of nail polish
    Nails My Next Manicure Is Taking Its Cues From Stockholm Street Style
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.