{{Short description|American political consultant and press secretary}} {{Update|inaccurate=yes|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Christina Pushaw | birth_name = Christina Maria Pushaw | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|9|3}}<ref name=":0" /> | birth_place = Washington<ref name=":0" /> | education = University of Southern California (BA)<br>Johns Hopkins University (MA) | occupation = {{flatlist| * Political aide * press secretary}} | political_party = Republican }} '''Christina Maria Pushaw''' (born September 3, 1990)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://x.com/CookedGooseinFL/status/1831027864340209855}}</ref> is an American political aide, who served as rapid response director for the 2024 presidential campaign of Ron DeSantis. She is a member of the Republican Party.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Christina Pushaw |url=https://www.maverickpac.com/christina-pushaw |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=Maverick PAC |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Early life and education == Pushaw was born in Washington, where her father worked as a lawyer at Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Fairbanks |first=Eve |date=January 14, 2024 |title=The Political Education of Christina Pushaw, Ron DeSantis' Enforcer on X |url=https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/01/14/christina-pushaw-ron-desantis-georgia-00118242 |work=Politico}}</ref> She spent most of her childhood in Malibu, California<ref name="Farhi2022">{{Cite news |last=Farhi |first=Paul |date=July 27, 2022 |title=DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw makes sure reporters feel the burn |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/07/27/christina-pushaw-desantis/ |access-date=August 12, 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> and Florida where her father worked as a visiting professor to Florida State University in 1999.<ref name="Kirkland2023"/> As a teenager, her father taught law at Pepperdine University. She attended a private high school.<ref name=":0" />
She obtained a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Southern California in 2012.<ref name="Lilley2022"/>
In 2017, she earned a master's degree in International Relations and Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.<ref name="Lilley2022" /><ref name=":0" />
== Early career, time in Georgia, and Mikheil Saakashvili ==
Pushaw volunteered for John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign; he supported Georgia during its war with Russia<ref name="Lilley2022" /> saying "today we are all Georgians."<ref name="Tavberidze2023">{{Cite web |last=Tavberidze |first=Vazha |date=Dec 27, 2017 |title=Saakashvili as an Inspiration |url=http://georgiatoday.ge/news/8648/Saakashvili-as-an-Inspiration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227123821/http://georgiatoday.ge/news/8648/Saakashvili-as-an-Inspiration |archive-date=Dec 27, 2017 |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=Georgia Today}}</ref> During 2012, she volunteered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, where she encountered Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, during a speech he gave and other appearances over the following year around Simi Valley, California. Saakashvili said that Reagan "defines who we Georgians are."<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Tavberidze2023" />
For a year after she graduated she worked as a recruiter at an IT firm in Pasadena, California.<ref name=":0" />
In 2013, she moved to Georgia, originally intending to be part of a Saakashvili program for native English speakers to teach English, but ended up working in few different educational positions.<ref name="Tavberidze2023" /><ref name=":0" /> She also formed a Georgian non-profit, New Leaders Initiative, to teach young Georgians about democracy and international affairs.<ref name="Lilley2022" /> Pushaw wrote an article "The Manchurian Candidate” in a former Russian Georgia publication.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pushaw |first=Christina |date=November 9, 2018 |title=The Manchurian Candidate |work=Georgia Today |pages=6}}</ref> During 2013 and 2014, Pushaw's peers and colleagues said that she said she traveled with Saakashvili and showed pictures she had taken with him telling them she had just been to Batumi.<ref name=":0" />
In 2015, she left Georgia and moved to Washington, D.C. to attend graduate school.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Lilley2022" /> One of her peers said that she had told them she was born in Ukraine, where Saakashvili had served in the military and attended college, and had been adopted by Americans. Giuli Alasania, Saakashvili's mother said that Pushaw told her the same story.<ref name=":0" /> While doing her graduate field research in Ukraine, her class met with Saakashvili.<ref name="Tavberidze2023" />
In 2017, Pushaw began working at a firm founded by Charles Koch in public relations called America at In Pursuit Of. From June 2017 to August 2019, Pushaw worked for Stand Together, a philanthropic organization also founded by Koch as an international political consultant.<ref name="Lilley2022">{{Cite web |last=Mathis-Lilley |first=Ben |date=April 21, 2022 |title=How One Florida Woman With Twitter Problems Plunged Us Into a Nightmarish National Conversation About "Grooming" |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/04/christina-pushaw-ron-desantis-libsoftiktok-groomer.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220421174551/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/04/christina-pushaw-ron-desantis-libsoftiktok-groomer.html |archive-date=April 21, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022 |website=Slate Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Klas2022" /> At Stand Together, she said she worked on the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and the passing of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.<ref name="Klas2022">{{Cite web |last=Klas |first=Mary Ellen |date=August 12, 2022 |title=DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw moves to join his campaign staff |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/08/12/desantis-press-secretary-christina-pushaw-moves-to-join-his-campaign-staff/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230512225525/https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2022/08/12/desantis-press-secretary-christina-pushaw-moves-to-join-his-campaign-staff/ |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref> In late 2017, Pushaw organized a pro-Saakashvili rally at the Embassy of Ukraine. In the resume she later provided to Ron DeSantis, she wrote that she worked as his communications and media advisor part-time during December 2017.<ref name=":0" /> She volunteered for his staff during 2018<ref name="Ogles2023">{{Cite web |last=Ogles |first=Jacob |date=June 8, 2022 |title=Christina Pushaw registers as foreign agent, citing prior work for ex-Georgian President |url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/530715-christina-pushaw-registers-as-foreign-agent-citing-prior-work-for-ex-georgian-president/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230324074040/https://floridapolitics.com/archives/530715-christina-pushaw-registers-as-foreign-agent-citing-prior-work-for-ex-georgian-president/ |archive-date=March 24, 2023 |access-date=May 13, 2023 |website=Florida Politics |language=en-US}}</ref> and joined his staff full-time in 2019. She worked for him until 2020.<ref name="Klas2022" /><ref name="Lahut2022">{{Cite web |last1=Lahut |first1=Jake |last2=Haltiwanger |first2=John |last3=Leonard |first3=Kimberly |date=Jan 6, 2022 |title=DeSantis press secretary registers as a foreign agent following DOJ letter |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/desantis-press-secretary-christina-pushaw-foreign-agent-georgia-saakashvili-wapo-2022-6 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Career== In June 2022, the Department of Justice reached out to Pushaw and asked to register as a foreign agent per the Foreign Agents Registration Act.<ref name="Lahut2022" /> She hired former United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, Michael R. Sherwin, to represent her for the FARA registration.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wheelock |first=Tristian |date=June 8, 2022 |title=DeSantis spokeswoman retroactively registers as foreign agent |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/desantis-spokeswoman-retroactively-registers-foreign-agent-rcna32494 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230512184217/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/desantis-spokeswoman-retroactively-registers-foreign-agent-rcna32494 |archive-date=May 12, 2023 |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=NBC News}}</ref> The act requires "foreign agents", defined as individuals or entities engaged in domestic lobbying or advocacy for foreign governments, organizations, or persons ("foreign principals"), to register with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and disclose their relationship, activities, and related financial compensation.<ref name=":1">{{cite web| url=https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/IF10499.pdf |title=Foreign Agents Registration Act: An Overview |work=Congressional Research Service |date=March 7, 2019}}</ref>
=== Journalism ===
Pushaw worked as an freelance journalist and had work published in national conservative outlets like ''The National Interest'' and ''Human Events''.<ref name="Kirkland2023">{{Cite web |last1=Kirkland |first1=Jordan |last2=Burgess |first2=Brian |date=May 17, 2021 |title=Christina Pushaw, outspoken Rebekah Jones critic, tapped as DeSantis' press secretary |url=https://thecapitolist.com/christina-pushaw-outspoken-rebekah-jones-critic-tapped-as-desantis-press-secretary/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210524213034/https://thecapitolist.com/christina-pushaw-outspoken-rebekah-jones-critic-tapped-as-desantis-press-secretary/ |archive-date=May 24, 2021 |access-date=May 12, 2023 |website=The Capitolist}}</ref> In February 2021, Pushaw published an article in ''Human Events'' criticizing Rebekah Jones, a Florida Department of Health employee who was fired in May 2020 for insubordination.<ref name="Pushaw2021">{{Cite web |last=Pushaw |first=Christina |date=February 2, 2021 |title=The "Florida COVID-19 Whistleblower" Saga Is a Big Lie. |url=https://humanevents.com/2021/02/02/the-florida-covid-19-whistleblower-saga-is-a-big-lie/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220526220456/https://humanevents.com/2021/02/02/the-florida-covid-19-whistleblower-saga-is-a-big-lie/ |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |access-date=May 13, 2023 |website=Human Events}}</ref> It was the first national story to point out holes in Jones claims and brought her to the attention of DeSantis' administration.<ref name="Kirkland2023"/>
=== Work for Ron DeSantis === In March 2021, Pushaw wrote a letter to the governor's office expressing interest in working for DeSantis' communication team.<ref name="Wilson2021"/> She was then hired as press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in May 2021.<ref name="Wilson2021">{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Kirby |date=July 27, 2022 |title=Ron DeSantis impressed Christina Pushaw so much, she asked him for a job |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/07/27/press-secretary-christina-pushaw-sought-job-after-admiring-desantiss-handling-of-pandemic/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210729082552/https://www.tampabay.com/news/florida-politics/2021/07/27/press-secretary-christina-pushaw-sought-job-after-admiring-desantiss-handling-of-pandemic/ |archive-date=July 29, 2021 |website=Tampa Bay Times}}</ref> Matt Dixon with Politico noted she had an unorthodox and aggressive style and was hostile to media outlets perceived to be critical of DeSantis.<ref name="Dixon2022" /> She worked in the position until August 2022 before leaving to join DeSantis's 2022 gubernatorial reelection and later 2024 presidential campaign teams as rapid response director.<ref name="Dixon2022">{{Cite web |last=Dixon |first=Matt |date=August 12, 2022 |title=DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw headed to his campaign operation |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/12/ron-desantis-press-secretary-christina-pushaw-to-campaign-00051432 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220813131112/https://www.politico.com/news/2022/08/12/ron-desantis-press-secretary-christina-pushaw-to-campaign-00051432 |archive-date=August 13, 2022 |access-date=August 12, 2022 |website=POLITICO |language=en}}</ref>
In August 2021, Pushaw's Twitter account was locked for 12 hours for "harassing behavior".<ref name="CBSM2021"/> She demanded the Associated Press change a report that a DeSantis donor had invested in a COVID-19 treatment, Regeneron, that DeSantis had been promoting.<ref name="CBSM2021"/> She called for her social media followers to "drag them" but said she did not mean to call for violence, that it was a slang term, and she deleted the tweet so as to not be misunderstood.<ref name="CBSM2021"/> Viktorya Vilk with PEN America did confirm that one slang definition defines "drag them" as "to roast (make fun of/mock) someone very hard"; however, it also seems to "imply or encourage people to go on the attack."<ref name="CBSM2021">{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/twitter-suspects-account-christina-pushaw-ron-desantis-press-secretary-bully-harrassing-ap-reporter/| date=August 21, 2021 |title=Twitter Suspends Account Of Ron DeSantis Press Secretary After 'Bullying' AP Reporter |work=CBS Miami}}</ref>
In November 2021, she claimed that the Republic of Georgia's decision to implement a vaccine passport system might have been influenced by a recent meeting between the country's government and a member of the Rothschild family, despite the fact that the meeting in question had taken place several months before the decision was announced. She later retracted the claim after stating that it had been misinterpreted.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/11/desantis-spokesperson-georgia-vaccine-passport-rothschilds-anti-semitism-conspiracy-theories.html|title=DeSantis Spokesperson Blames Vaccine Passport on Rothschilds|date=17 November 2021 }}</ref>
In January 2022, she deleted a social media post after facing backlash.<ref name="Tichie2022"/> In the post, she questioned if protestors wearing Nazi symbols were genuine or there to generate backlash, similar to an incident the previous year meant to smear Glenn Youngkin who was running for governor of Virginia.<ref name="Tichie2022">{{cite news |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2022/01/31/desantis-aide-nazi-protestors-democrats-00003678 |title=DeSantis aide deletes tweet suggesting Nazi protesters were Democratic operatives |date=Jan 31, 2022 |first=Bruce |last=Ritchie |work=Politico}}</ref>
She posted on social media in support of the Parental Rights in Education Act, calling the "Don't Say Gay" nickname given by its opponents inaccurate: "The bill that liberals inaccurately call 'Don't Say Gay' would be more accurately described as an Anti-Grooming Bill. If you're against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don't denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children. Silence is complicity. This is how it works, Democrats, and I didn't make the rules."<ref name="Ogles2022">{{cite news| url=https://www.advocate.com/politics/2022/3/06/desantis-press-secretary-spews-unbridled-hatred-lgbtq-community| title=DeSantis Press Secretary Spews 'Unbridled Hatred' of LGBTQ+ Community| first=Jacob| last=Ogles| date= Mar 6, 2022|work=Advocate}}</ref> Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith responded, stating it was a bigotted attack against LGBTQ people and calling for her to resign.<ref name="Ogles2022"/> In a statement to AP News, she stated "I have never stated that all groomers are LGBT, all LGBT people are groomers, or anything of that nature."<ref name="Kruesi2022">{{cite news| url=https://apnews.com/article/education-gender-identity-adf10ff5f169fae9c9af4d08a7b0c2bc |date=March 29, 2022 |title='Grooming': The ubiquitous buzzword in LGBTQ school debate| first1=Kimberlee |last1=Kruesi| first2=Karena| last2=Phan}}</ref>
In September 2022, Pushaw gave a speech at the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Florida.<ref name="Wulfsohn2022"/> In her speech, Pushaw suggested conservatives be aware of "media activists" who "see themselves not as journalists, not as reporters, not as investigators but as activists, but as advocates, as political operatives, as gatekeepers and as arbiters of truth. Like they believe that they can define reality. If, you know, they stick to their talking points and censor and attack all those and discredit those dissenting views."<ref name="Wulfsohn2022">{{Cite web |last=Wulfsohn |first=Joseph |date=September 13, 2022 |title=DeSantis aide Christina Pushaw touts blocking access to liberal media 'activists': 'Cut them off' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/desantis-aide-christina-pushaw-touts-blocking-access-liberal-media-activists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230430220905/https://www.foxnews.com/media/desantis-aide-christina-pushaw-touts-blocking-access-liberal-media-activists |archive-date=April 30, 2023 |access-date=May 23, 2023 |website=Fox News}}</ref> Ron DeSantis was one of the keynote speakers at the event.<ref name="Scheckner2022">{{cite news| url=https://floridapolitics.com/archives/555339-ron-desantis-plays-greatest-hits-and-then-some-in-keynote-speech-to-enthusiastic-natcon-crowd/ |title=Ron DeSantis plays greatest hits — and then some — in keynote speech to enthusiastic NatCon crowd |first=Jesse |last=Scheckner| date=Sep 12, 2022}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pushaw, Christina}} Category:1990 births Category:American political women Category:American press secretaries Category:Florida Republicans Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Malibu, California Category:People from Seattle Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:21st-century American women Category:California Republicans Category:Washington (state) Republicans