Ja’Ron Smith
Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy
Ja’Ron K. Smith was born in July 1982 in Cleveland, Ohio. He played football in high school and was recruited to play by John Carroll University but instead attended Howard University studying Finance and Economics. He earned a Master of Divinity from the Howard University Divinity School. While in college, he worked as an intern for Congressman J. C. Watts, for South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and for then-U.S. Representative Mike Pence.
He served as an advisor on Director of Urban Affairs and Revitalization from the beginning of the Trump Administration and in April 2019, he was named Assistant to the President for domestic policy. He has been a chief policy strategist and was the manager of the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative.
He is married to Karla Hinojosa, whom he met on a blind date. He is a Christian.
In the News…
The Trump Administration has been trying to bring change to the violence-ravaged city of Chicago, the president’s assistant on domestic policy Ja’Ron Smith said.
“These issues aren’t about politics,” he said. “They are about outcomes, and honestly, some of these things haven’t happened for over 30 years. Many leaders promised that they want to do reform and don’t lift a finger. But I would invite [Chicago’s mayor] to work with us. We’ve worked with other Democratic mayors. Look at the city of Birmingham… we are really moving the needle in those communities.”
He said the White House has held meetings with Illinois Representative Danny Davis to discuss how Opportunity Zones could be leveraged in hart-hit areas, and “we are willing to go back and to do the work.”
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said that progress is already being made in different parts of the city when it comes to dealing with increasing gang violence, but when one looks at the “root causes of violence, this is generations of lack of investment,” she said. “Generations where we haven’t created real opportunities, particularly for young men of color. And they believe that their destiny is on the corner. We’re not gonna change that around in a few weeks.”
Ja’Ron Smith indicated that so far, there has been “no luck” in working with Chicago’s leadership.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Mr. Smith today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Ja’Ron Smith
Assistant to President Trump for Domestic Policy
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
