NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that Clark Milner — who previously worked for two Tennessee governors and a senator — will serve as “Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor for Policy” in the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy’s Office, with a primary focus on domestic policy.
According to officials, Milner served as deputy chief of staff for policy and chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), deputy counsel to Gov. Bill Lee (R-Tenn.), and associate deputy counsel to Gov. Bill Haslam (R-Tenn.). In addition, he worked as a litigation associate with Bass, Berry, and Sims PLC in Nashville, as well as a law clerk to Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Milner also received a B.B.A. in finance from the University of Georgia and a J.D. from the University of Tennessee.
Hagerty responded to the news on social media platform X, saying, “Congratulations to my friend Clark Milner on his selection as Special Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor for Policy! Clark’s been an invaluable advisor to me for the past 4 years & his extensive policy background will make him an indispensable asset to President Trump.”
Lee shared Hagerty’s post and wrote, “Another excellent hire by @realDonaldTrump. Tennessee is proud of you, Clark!”
This news after Trump announced Penny Schwinn — who worked under Lee as the Tennessee Commissioner of Education from 2019 to 2023 — as his pick for U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education earlier in the day.
