WASHINGTON: Indian-Americans are shining bright in the American media for several reasons; chiefly political. Confusion recently prevailed when the Trump transition team announced the appointment of Indian-American Raj Shah as deputy assistant to the President, and deputy communication director and research director in the incoming Trump administration.
The media, however, ran photos of Rajiv Shah, who served as administrator of the US agency for international development in the Obama administration, raising questions on when the Democrat switched sides. The Trump appointee of the same name would transition into a formal job in the new administration with a similar role of casing President Trump's opponents. Currently head of Opposition Research in the Republican National Committee, he had led a team of experts to carry out research against Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, during the campaign.
Additional hires include Marc Short, Director of Legislative Affairs; John DeStefano, Director of Presidential Personnel; Josh Pitcock, Chief of Staff to the Vice President; George Gigicos, Director Of Advance; Jessica Ditto, Deputy Communications Director; Jen Pavlik, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President; and John McEntee, Personal Aide to the president.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Raj Shah, formally Rajiv J Shah, was also in the news. The Rockefeller Foundation, one of the America's largest and most influential philanthropies, named him President, succeeding Judith Rodin, who had held the post for 12 years. Shah will be the youngest person - and the first Indian-American - to head the Foundation.
