Julia Aviva Hahn (born April 1, 1991) is an American writer. Between 2017 and 2021, she was deputy communications director in the Trump White House.
Julia Hahn | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 1, 1991[1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
Early life
editHahn was born to a Jewish family,[2][3][4] and grew up in Beverly Hills. She attended Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles.[5] Her grandfather is Harold Honickman, the head of a successful soft-drink bottling company, who in 2002 was estimated to be worth $850 million.[6]
Hahn attended the University of Chicago, studying philosophy.[7] While a student, she also studied in Paris.[8] Hahn's senior thesis at the University of Chicago was on "issues at the intersection of psychoanalysis and post-Foucauldian philosophical inquiry".[8]
Career
editHahn started her career as producer for The Laura Ingraham Show, eventually becoming executive producer of the show.[5] Hahn then became press secretary for Virginia Congressman Dave Brat.[7]
In 2015, Hahn began working at Breitbart News as a writer.[9] She followed Steve Bannon to the White House, becoming his deputy policy strategist.[10][9] She remained in the White House after Bannon's departure and worked in a communications position.[11] She wrote headlines such as "Republican-Led Congress Oversees Large-Scale Importation of Somali Migrants."[10]
According to The New York Times, on entering the White House at age 25, Hahn's financial disclosure forms indicate she had some $1.5 million in stocks including investments in PepsiCo and the State of Israel Bond,[12] as well as a Custodial Bank Account for minors containing between $500,000–$1 million.[13]
In August 2020, The New York Times reported that Hahn compiled White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany's briefing binder for her White House press briefings.[14]
In January 2021, Hahn was hired on U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty's staff.[15]
Controversy
editIn October 2020, the Southern Poverty Law Center published a report to its Hatewatch blog based on leaked emails by Hahn's former colleague at Breitbart News, Katie McHugh. The article alleged that Hahn had connections to prominent white nationalists during her time as a Breitbart reporter and producer for Laura Ingraham. In response to the story, the White House issued a statement on Hahn's behalf, saying that she "condemns racism and hatred in all forms" and describing the emails as "cherry-picked."[16]
References
edit- ^ Maass, Peter (7 May 2017). "Birth of A Radical". The Intercept. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
Hahn, who was born on April Fools' Day in 1991
- ^ Bovy, Phoebe Maltz (February 6, 2017). "What's a Nice Jewish Girl Like Julia Hahn Doing in Steve Bannon's White House?". Jewish Daily Forward.
- ^ Goldiner, David (January 23, 2017). "Julia Hahn, Jewish Breitbart Reporter, Tapped for White House Post Under Steve Bannon". Jewish Daily Forward.
- ^ Jung, Helin (April 5, 2017). "Who Is Julia Hahn? 7 Things to Know About Steve Bannon's Protégée Who Now Works in the White House". Cosmopolitan.
- ^ a b Terris, Ben (March 30, 2017). "Who is Julia Hahn? The Unlikely Rise of Steve Bannon's Right-Hand Woman — a 'Mild-Mannered' 25-Year-Old". National Post.
- ^ Maass, Peter (May 7, 2017). "Birth of a Radical". The Intercept.
- ^ a b Costa, Robert (January 23, 2017). "Trump's latest hire alarms allies of Ryan — and bolsters Bannon". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b Marantz, Andrew (February 13, 2017). "Becoming Steve Bannon's Bannon". The New Yorker.
- ^ a b Isenstadt, Alex (January 22, 2017). "Breitbart writer expected to join White House staff". Politico.
- ^ a b Kulish, Nicholas (April 24, 2017). "With Ally in Oval Office, Immigration Hard-Liners Ascend to Power". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Markay, Lachlan; Suebsaeng, Asawin (November 6, 2017). "Bannon Protégée Gets a New Job in the White House—and It's Not Going Well". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
- ^ "Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278e)". Politico.
- ^ "Who's Worth What at the White House: The Financial Disclosures". The New York Times. March 31, 2017.
- ^ Rogers, Katie; Haberman, Maggie (August 2, 2020). "Kayleigh McEnany Heckles the Press. Is That All?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ "Former Trump aides Deere, Hahn hired by U.S. senator from Tennessee". Reuters. January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Hayden, Michael Edison (October 21, 2020). "Trump Official Brought Hate Connections to the White House". splcenter.org. Southern Poverty Law Center.