Steven Cheung Biography – Family, Age, & More

Steven Cheung Wiki-Bio

Physical Appearance

Education

Steven Cheung Background

Early Life Story

Steven Cheung was born on June 23, 1982, in South Sacramento, California. His parents immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong. His mother had grown up in Japan before moving to the US.¹

He grew up in Sacramento and attended John F. Kennedy High School, where he was a member of the school’s football team.²

After high school, he studied Political Science and Computer Science at California State University, Sacramento. During college, he interned in the communications and speechwriting office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.³

Family Background

Steven’s parents came to the United States as immigrants from Hong Kong. They met while studying in Sacramento on student visas.⁴

Not many details about his private life are publicly available. He keeps his personal affairs separate from his professional profile.

Professional Journey

Early Political Career

After his internship with Governor Schwarzenegger, Steven moved into the Republican campaign circuit. He worked on John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign as an administrative assistant. He was nicknamed “Panda” by staff during this period — a nickname that stuck for years.⁵

He then worked on several other Republican campaigns, including Steve Poizner’s 2010 California governor race, Sharron Angle’s 2010 Nevada Senate race, and David Dewhurst’s 2012 Texas Senate race.⁶

UFC Career

In 2013, Steven joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as Director of Communications and Public Affairs. He developed a blunt and aggressive style of public defense — very different from traditional PR.⁷

He left the UFC in 2016 to join Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

First Trump Campaign (2016)

Steven joined the Trump 2016 presidential campaign as Director of Rapid Response. After Trump won the election, he joined the White House as Assistant Communications Director and later as Director of Strategic Response.

He helped manage communications around the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He left the White House in June 2018 when Chief of Staff John Kelly reorganized the staff.

Solgence and Consulting

After leaving the White House, Steven founded his own consulting firm called Solgence. He worked on Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign as a senior communications advisor and also helped with Caitlyn Jenner’s 2021 California gubernatorial recall campaign.

Trump 2024 Campaign

Steven returned as one of the most visible spokespeople for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. His aggressive rapid-response tactics became the campaign’s signature media strategy. He gained national attention for his sharp attacks on Trump’s political opponents and his willingness to confront journalists directly.⁸

White House Communications Director

In November 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced Steven as White House Communications Director for his second term.⁹

Steven formally took office on January 20, 2025. His annual salary in this role is $195,200.¹⁰

Social Media & Online Presence

Some Lesser Known Facts

• Donald Trump personally gave him the nickname “my sumo wrestler” — a reference to his build and fighting spirit.
• He practiced Muay Thai boxing and Taekwondo, which influenced his combative communications approach.
• He is a self-described professional wrestling historian and a major UFC and NBA fan.
• During John McCain’s 2008 campaign, staff nicknamed him “Panda” — coinciding with the release of the film Kung Fu Panda.
• Journalists who have worked with him privately describe him as calm and non-self-promoting — quite different from his public persona.
• He was one of the key figures in organizing the 2020 Republican National Convention.

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