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Marc Short
Short in 2022
Chief of Staff to the Vice President
In office March 1, 2019 – January 20, 2021
Vice President	Mike Pence
Preceded by	Nick Ayers
Succeeded by	Hartina Flournoy
White House Director of Legislative Affairs
In office January 20, 2017 – July 20, 2018
President	Donald Trump
Preceded by	Amy Rosenbaum
Succeeded by	Shahira Knight
Personal details
Born	(1970-03-03) March 3, 1970 (age 54) Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Kristen Short
Children	3
Parent	Dick Short
Education	Washington and Lee University (BA) University of Virginia (MBA)

Marc T. Short (born March 3, 1970) is an American political advisor who served as chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence. Prior to holding this role, Short was the director of legislative affairs at the White House from 2017 to 2018. He became chief of staff for Pence in March 2019. He was a senior fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs, a CNN contributor, chief of staff to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, and the House Republican Conference. He was president of Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce from 2011 to 2016. He was a frequent guest on Meet The Press of NBC News.

Early life and education

Marc Short was born in Virginia, the son of Richard T. "Dick" Short III, an insurance executive, and his wife Florence "Kim" Timolat Short. The family lived "in a comfortable waterfront home on the eastern tip of Virginia Beach’s Bay Island." He attended Norfolk Academy from grade school to high school, where he used as his senior quote "If you want the virtue of a woman, it is not difficult to describe; she must manage the home well, preserve its possessions, and be submissive to her husband."

He graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1992. While an undergraduate at Washington and Lee University, Short co-founded The Spectator in 1989, a conservative paper. He served as editor until 1992, when he graduated. In a column for the paper, Short "disparaged people living with HIV and AIDS," stating "the propaganda campaign ignited by gay activists and carelessly perpetuated by journalists whose intent is to scare all heterosexuals into believing they are prime targets for contraction of the disease. The campaign's purpose is both to lobby Congress for more federal funding of AIDS research and to destigmatize the perverted lifestyles homosexuals pursue."

Career

Short served as finance director for Oliver North's unsuccessful 1994 Senate campaign in Virginia. He then worked as spokesperson and executive director for The Freedom Alliance. Short was also the executive director of Young America's Foundation. In 1998, the group purchased the Reagan Ranch in California, with the intention of using it for leadership seminars for college students. Short managed the property with his wife and got his start in fundraising from conservative donors. The Shorts then returned to Virginia, where he received his MBA from the University of Virginia.

Following his graduation, Short was hired as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security. He then worked for Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, eventually becoming her chief of staff. When Hutchison ran for Governor of Texas, Short started working for then-Congressman Mike Pence, who named him chief of staff for the House Republican Conference in 2009. He remained in the position until 2011. Short was then hired by Koch Industries and eventually transitioned to become the President of Freedom Partners, a non-profit, 501(c)(6) chamber of commerce located in Arlington, Virginia that is largely funded by Charles and David Koch. He served as the organization's President until 2016. In February 2016, Short left his position at Freedom Partners to start his own consulting firm. Among his clients were Marco Rubio's presidential campaign and Pence's Indiana gubernatorial campaign. Pence eventually withdrew from the gubernatorial race to become Trump's running mate. On June 16, 2016, Short was named Communications Advisor to then vice presidential candidate Pence.

Trump administration

President Trump named Short the Director of Legislative Affairs on January 4, 2017. Short announced he would leave the White House post in the summer of 2018, citing "diminishing returns" of pushing President Donald Trump's agenda. In July 2018, having left the White House, he joined GuidePost as a partner.

On February 19, 2019, Vice President Mike Pence announced Short would be his next Chief of Staff, beginning in March 2019.

On November 20, 2019, Short issued a statement rebutting the sworn testimony given that same day before Congress by US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. Sondland claimed while meeting with Pence that the two discussed the alleged "quid pro quo" that was at the heart of the impeachment inquiry before the House. Marc Short wrote the vice president "never had a conversation with Gordon Sondland about investigating the Bidens, Burisma, or the conditional release of financial aid to Ukraine based upon potential investigations." Later that evening during Cuomo Prime Time, the statement was described as being well crafted and that it didn't deny that Pence already knew about Trump's requests.

During the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, Short played an important role on Vice President Mike Pence's coronavirus task force. During the response to the coronavirus pandemic, Short persistently downplayed the dangers of the pandemic, and criticized the data shared with Trump that modeled an estimated 100,000–240,000 U.S. deaths under a continuation of the administration's social distancing policies, and as many as 1.6 million–2.2 million U.S. deaths in the absence of any mitigation efforts. In internal White House discussions, Short said he did not believe that the U.S. death toll would ever go beyond 60,000. In internal discussions, Short also criticized the administration's public health response in a broader policy level, arguing that it damaged the economy and harmed Trump's re-election chances. He repeatedly encouraged others in the administration to re-open the economy amid the implementation of lockdown and social distancing efforts.

As Short and his wife hold stock in various pharmaceutical and medical companies connected with the Pence task force's work, this raised concerns of potential conflicts of interest.

On October 24, 2020, it was reported that Short and three other Pence aides had tested positive for COVID-19. The White House tried to prevent the information from becoming public.

In the aftermath of Biden winning the 2020 presidential election, the incumbent pressured vice-president Pence to reject State electors relying on the fringe theory presented in the Eastman memos. Short requested Jared Kushner's help in reasoning with president Trump. Although in basic agreement about the election outcome, Kushner replied that the vice president "is a big boy", and if he disagreed with the president on a legal issue, he should bring in his lawyers. Kushner stated: "I'm too busy working on Middle East peace right now, Marc". Short later worked with Pence's legal counsel Gregory Jacob to fortify Pence the constitutional response that he gave in the Joint Session of Congress in the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.

On January 7, 2021, Short stated that Trump had banned him from entering the White House after Pence told lawmakers that he did not have the legal power to reject electoral votes.

On January 11, 2021, he helped senior presidential advisor Jared Kushner arrange a reconciliation meeting between vice-president Pence and president Donald Trump.

Advancing American Freedom

Advancing American Freedom was launched on April 7, 2021, as the policy and advocacy organization of former Vice President Mike Pence. The stated aim of Advancing American Freedom is to take America back into the traditional foundations of freedom. The day that Advancing American Freedom was announced, Short was designated as a Co-Chair of the organization, a position he currently holds.

Personal life

Marc and Kristen Short were married in 1997. They have three children and live in Arlington, Virginia. He is an evangelical Christian.

References

1. ^ Pence, Vice President Mike (2019-02-19). "I am pleased to announce that Marc Short will be returning to the White House to serve as my chief of staff. Marc will be joining the Office of the Vice President in March and we look forward to welcoming him to our great @VP Team!". @VP. Archived from the original on 2021-01-11. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
2. "SHORT, RICHARD T. IV". Richmond Times-Dispatch. August 28, 2016. Archived from the original on 7 November 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
3. ^ Bartel, Bill (April 22, 2017). "Virginia Beach native Marc Short follows his father's footsteps to a key post in Trump White House". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
4. Ansari, Talal (January 31, 2018). "A Top Trump Adviser's Yearbook Quote Says A Wife Should Be "Submissive To Her Husband"". BuzzFeed News. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
5. ^ Cheney, Kyle; Nussbaum, Matthew (January 18, 2017). "Donald Trump's man on the Hill". Politico. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
6. ^ Markay, Lachlan; Stein, Sam (February 27, 2019). "Pence's Incoming Chief of Staff, Marc Short, Disparaged People Living With AIDS for 'Repugnant' Gay Sex in College Column". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
7. Mills Rodrigo, Chris (February 27, 2019). "Pence's incoming chief of staff apologizes for college column disparaging people living with AIDS". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 27, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
8. Duffy, Nick (February 27, 2019). "Mike Pence aide Marc Short attacked gay people's 'perverted lifestyles'". Pink News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
9. ^ Purdum, Todd S. (May 24, 1998). "Keeping Reagan's Legacy Alive at His Old Ranch". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2017.
10. Lach, Eric (September 16, 2013). "Meet The Man Who Runs The Koch Brothers' Secret Bank". TPM. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
11. Goldmacher, Shane (January 2, 2017). "Trump expected to name Marc Short legislative affairs director". Politico. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
12. "The Latest: Trump campaign names staffers to help Pence". US News. AP. July 16, 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-12-01. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
13. Rucker, Philip; Gold, Matea (July 16, 2016). "Mike Pence integrates longtime advisers with Trump campaign". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
14. Nakamura, David (January 4, 2017). "Trump announces additional White House staff". Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
15. Michael C. Bender (June 14, 2018). "White House Capitol Hill Envoy to Leave Post, Citing 'Diminishing Returns'". WSJ.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
16. "Trump's top Hill aide leaving White House amid Supreme Court battle - POLITICO". Politico. 2018-07-12.
17. "Sondland testimony raises questions about Pence's denials on Ukraine". CNN. 20 November 2019. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2019-11-20.
18. "Cuomo Prime Time November 20, 2019". CNN. November 20, 2019. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2019.
19. "34 days of pandemic: Inside Trump's desperate attempts to reopen America". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
20. Mak, Tim (2020-05-28). "Pence Chief Of Staff Owns Stocks That Could Conflict With Coronavirus Response". NPR.org. Archived from the original on 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
21. Tucker, Emma (2020-05-28). "VP's Chief of Staff Marc Short's Stock Holdings Could Conflict With Coronavirus Response: NPR". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-16. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
22. "Does the Vice President's Chief of Staff Have a Coronavirus Conflict of Interest?". CREW. 2020-04-23. Archived from the original on 2020-10-08. Retrieved 2020-05-28.
23. Díaz, Daniella; Klein, Betsy (October 25, 2020). "Pence chief of staff Marc Short tests positive for coronavirus". CNN. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
24. Wu, Katherine J.; Zimmer, Carl (2020-10-25). "4 Pence Aides Test Positive for the Coronavirus". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2021-09-05. Retrieved 2020-10-25.
25. Baker, Peter (2022-06-08). "How Jared Kushner Washed His Hands of Donald Trump Before Jan. 6". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-06-11. Retrieved 2022-06-10.
26. Aggarwal, Mayank (January 7, 2021). "Pence's chief of staff says Trump has banned him from West Wing". Independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
27. Baker, Peter (2022-06-08). "How Jared Kushner Washed His Hands of Donald Trump Before Jan. 6". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-06-11. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
28. "EXCLUSIVE: Pence returns to MAGA world with Trump-backed political group". Washington Examiner. 2021-04-07. Archived from the original on 2021-10-18. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
29. "EXCLUSIVE: Mike Pence launches new group to advocate for pro-freedom policies: Marc Short". Fox Business. 2021-04-07. Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
30. "Advancing American Freedom - About". Advancing American Freedom. 2021-04-07. Archived from the original on 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
31. Dawsey, Josh (February 19, 2019). "Marc Short to serve as Vice President Pence's chief of staff as White House gears up for 2020 campaign". Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2019.

External links

• Short at the Reagan Ranch Roundtable Archived 2017-02-07 at the Wayback Machine, 2010.
• Appearances on C-SPAN

v t e First Trump administration personnel
v t e Cabinet and cabinet-level Office Name Term Office Name Term Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 2018–2021 Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin 2017–2021 Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller (acting) 2020–2021 Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen (acting) 2020–2021 Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt 2019–2021 Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue 2017–2021 Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross 2017–2021 Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia 2019–2021 Secretary of Health and   Human Services Alex Azar 2018–2021 Secretary of Housing and Urban   Development Ben Carson 2017–2021 Secretary of Transportation Steven G. Bradbury (acting) 2021–2021 Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette 2019–2021 Secretary of Education Mick Zais (acting) 2021–2021 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie 2018–2021 Secretary of Homeland Security Pete Gaynor (acting) 2021–2021 Vice President Mike Pence 2017–2021 White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows 2020–2021 Director of the Office of Management and   Budget Russell Vought 2020–2021 Administrator of the Environmental   Protection Agency Andrew R. Wheeler 2019–2021 Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft 2019–2021 Administrator of the Small Business Administration Jovita Carranza 2020–2021 Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer 2017–2021 Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe 2020–2021 Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel 2018–2021 Below solid line: Held Cabinet-level rank although not automatically part of the Cabinet. See also: Cabinet of Donald Trump
v t e Executive Office of the President Office Name Term Office Name Term White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus 2017 National Security Advisor Michael Flynn 2017 John F. Kelly 2017–19 H. R. McMaster 2017–18 Mick Mulvaney 2019–20 John Bolton 2018–19 Mark Meadows 2020–21 Robert C. O'Brien 2019–21 Principal Deputy Chief of Staff Katie Walsh 2017 Deputy National Security Advisor K. T. McFarland 2017 Kirstjen Nielsen 2017 Ricky L. Waddell 2017–18 James W. Carroll 2017–18 Mira Ricardel 2018 Zachary Fuentes 2018–19 Charles Kupperman 2019 Emma Doyle 2019–20 Matthew Pottinger 2019–21 Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Rick Dearborn 2017–18 Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert 2017–18 Chris Liddell 2018–21 Doug Fears 2018–19 Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Joe Hagin 2017–18 Peter J. Brown 2019–20 Daniel Walsh 2018–19 Julia Nesheiwat 2020–21 Anthony M. Ornato 2019–21 Dep. Natl. Security Advisor, Strategy Dina Powell 2017–18 Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications Bill Shine 2018–19 Nadia Schadlow 2018 Dan Scavino 2020–21 Dep. Natl. Security Advisor, Middle East and North African Affairs Victoria Coates 2019–20 Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway 2017–20 White House Communications Director Sean Spicer 2017 Steve Bannon 2017 Michael Dubke 2017 Johnny DeStefano 2018–19 Anthony Scaramucci 2017 Hope Hicks 2020–21 Hope Hicks 2017–18 Derek Lyons 2020–21 Bill Shine 2018–19 Senior Advisor, Strategic Planning Jared Kushner 2017–21 Stephanie Grisham 2019–20 Senior Advisor, Policy Stephen Miller 2017–21 White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer 2017 Senior Advisor, Economic Issues Kevin Hassett 2020 Sarah Huckabee Sanders 2017–19 Advisor Ivanka Trump 2017–21 Stephanie Grisham 2019–20 Director, Public Liaison George Sifakis 2017 Kayleigh McEnany 2020–21 Johnny DeStefano 2017–18 Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders 2017 Justin R. Clark 2018 Raj Shah 2017–19 Steve Munisteri 2018–19 Hogan Gidley 2019–20 Timothy Pataki 2019–21 Brian R. Morgenstern 2020–21 Director, Intergovernmental Affairs Justin R. Clark 2017–18 Director, Strategic Communications Hope Hicks 2017 Douglas Hoelscher 2019–21 Mercedes Schlapp 2017–19 Director, National Economic Council Gary Cohn 2017–18 Alyssa Farah 2020 Larry Kudlow 2018–21 Director, Social Media Dan Scavino 2017–19 Chair, Council of Economic Advisers Kevin Hassett 2017–19 Director, Legislative Affairs Marc Short 2017–18 Tomas J. Philipson 2019–20 Shahira Knight 2018–19 Tyler Goodspeed 2020–21 Eric Ueland 2019–20 Chair, Domestic Policy Council Andrew Bremberg 2017–19 Amy Swonger 2020–21 Joe Grogan 2019–20 Director, Political Affairs Bill Stepien 2017–18 Brooke Rollins 2020–21 Brian Jack 2019–21 Director, National Trade Council Peter Navarro 2017–21 Director, Presidential Personnel Johnny DeStefano 2017–18 White House Counsel Don McGahn 2017–18 Sean E. Doocey 2018–20 Emmet Flood 2018 John McEntee 2020–21 Pat Cipollone 2018–21 Director, Management & Administration Marcia L. Kelly 2017–18 White House Cabinet Secretary Bill McGinley 2017–19 Monica J. Block 2018–21 Matthew J. Flynn 2019 White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter 2017–18 Kristan King Nevins 2019–21 Derek Lyons 2018–21 Personal Aide to the President John McEntee 2017–18 Director, Science & Technology Policy Kelvin Droegemeier 2019–21 Jordan Karem 2018 Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios 2019–21 Nicholas Luna 2018–19 Director, Management & Budget Mick Mulvaney 2017–19 Director, Oval Office Operations Keith Schiller 2017 Russell Vought 2019–21 Jordan Karem 2017–19 Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent 2018–20 Madeleine Westerhout 2019 United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer 2017–21 Nicholas Luna 2019–21 Director, National Drug Control Policy James W. Carroll 2018–21 Chief of Staff to the First Lady Lindsay Reynolds 2017–20 Chair, Council on Environmental Quality Mary Neumayr 2018–21 Stephanie Grisham 2020–21 Chief of Staff to the Vice President Josh Pitcock 2017 White House Social Secretary Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd 2017–21 Nick Ayers 2017–19 White House Chief Usher Angella Reid† 2017 Marc Short 2019–21 Timothy Harleth 2017–21 Special Representative, International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz 2019–21 Physician to the President Ronny Jackson† 2017–18 COVID-19 Medical Advisors Deborah Birx 2020–21 Sean Conley 2018–21 Anthony Fauci 2020–21 Director, White House Military Office Keith Davids 2017–21 Scott Atlas 2020–21 † Remained from previous administration.
v t e Office of the Vice President Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Vice President Marc Short Counsel to the Vice President Matt Morgan Counselor to the Vice President Assistant to the Vice President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison Sarah Makin Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Communications Jarrod Agen Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President Jen Pavlik Deputy National Security Adviser to the Vice President Policy Director to the Second Lady Sara Egeland National Security Adviser to the Vice President Andrea Thompson Position Appointee Chief of Staff to the Second Lady Kristan King Nevins Director of Administration for the Office of the Vice President Mike Boisvenue Domestic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Daris Meeks Chief Economist and Economic Policy Adviser to the Vice President Press Secretary to the Vice President Marc Lotte Deputy Press Secretary to the Vice President Director of Legislative Affairs Jonathan Hiler Director of Communications for the Second Lady Kara Brooks

• 1970 births
• Living people
• 20th-century evangelicals
• 21st-century evangelicals
• American evangelicals
• Chiefs of staff to the vice president of the United States
• Christians from Virginia
• Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign
• People associated with the 2016 United States presidential election
• Chiefs of staff to United States senators
• United States presidential advisors
• University of Virginia Darden School of Business alumni
• Virginia Republicans
• Washington and Lee University alumni