Statement by the Press Secretary on the Appointment of Robert Blair of Virginia as the Special Representative for International Telecommunications Policy

President Donald J. Trump has named Robert Blair of Virginia as the Special Representative for International Telecommunications Policy. In this capacity, Mr. Blair will lead the strategic prioritization of United States efforts to promote a secure and reliable global communications system. He will coordinate interagency efforts and serve as a liaison to industry, non-governmental, and international stakeholders to promote the development, deployment, and operation of the next-generation telecommunications infrastructure that will provide the security, data privacy, and stability required for a fully interconnected world.

In this new capacity, Mr. Blair will support the Administration's 5G efforts led by the Assistant to the President for Economy Policy, Larry Kudlow. Mr. Blair will continue to serve as Assistant to the President and the Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff. Before joining the White House, Mr. Blair was the Associate Director for Defense Programs at the Office of Management and Budget. For more than a decade, he served on the staff of the Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives. Before joining the Committee, Mr. Blair was a Presidential Management Fellow at the Department of State and began his Federal service as a Peace Corps Volunteer. He earned degrees from Cornell University, Tufts University, and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.