James Braid (political advisor)

James Carlin Braid (born November 21, 1990) is an American legislative aide who has served as the White House director of legislative affairs since 2025.

Braid graduated from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 2013. After graduating, he worked for Heritage Action and The Washington Free Beacon. Braid served as the legislative director for South Carolina representative Mark Sanford, later working for North Carolina representative Ted Budd as his deputy chief of staff and the Freedom Caucus as its policy director. In July 2019, he became the deputy associate director for legislative affairs for appropriations at the Office of Management and Budget. Braid later served as the chiefs of staff for Montana representative Matt Rosendale and Colorado representative Ken Buck. In February 2023, he became Ohio senator JD Vance's legislative director.

In November 2024, president-elect Donald Trump named Braid as his White House director of legislative affairs.