“Trump Fixates on Kamala Harris Aide”: Ian Sams Under Fire in 15 Social Media Posts
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Former President Donald Trump and his team have turned their attention to a relatively unknown aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, repeatedly attacking him after his appearance on Fox News. According to a report from The Washington Post, Trump and his camp have become “fixated” on Ian Sams, a 35-year-old Democratic political adviser, with over three dozen public criticisms launched at him in just three weeks.
Sams, who previously had a low profile in national politics, became the subject of Trump’s ire following his mid-October appearance on Fox News. During an 8-minute segment on Your World with Neil Cavuto, Sams discussed topics including Trump’s refusal to release medical records and the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Throughout the interview, Sams maintained a composed demeanor, even as Cavuto attempted to interrupt him.
Sams also criticized Trump’s reluctance to engage with mainstream media, further drawing the former president’s attention. The Post reported that Trump was furious while watching the interview live. Before Sams had even finished his segment, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to launch his first attack. In a post, Trump asked, “How much time does Ian Sams, Senior Advisor to Lyin’ Kamala Harris, spend on Fox News?” He dismissed Sams as “just a below average guy, with memorized FAKE NEWS sound bites, almost all of which are WRONG.”
This was only the beginning. In the days that followed, Trump’s circle continued to fixate on Sams. Trump himself mentioned Sams repeatedly, at one point accusing the aide of “virtually owning” Fox News. According to The Washington Post’s tally, Trump advisors Stephen Miller and Jason Miller have posted about Sams at least 15 times collectively, and Trump’s campaign account joined in with six posts of its own. Even Trump spokesman Tim Murtaugh took aim at Sams in four separate posts.
A friend of Sam, Lily Adams, humorously pointed out the extent of the attention, telling The Post, “It seems like the only person who watches more of Ian’s hits on TV than Trump are his blood relatives.”
Sams’ sudden prominence in Trump’s world has come as a surprise to many, given that he was previously a relatively unknown figure. The Post noted that before his Fox News appearance, Sams had rarely been in the spotlight. However, since then, he has been attacked more often than any other Harris aide, as Trump’s camp continues to follow the lead of their boss in focusing on Sams.
Appearing on Jen Psaki’s show on MSNBC, Sams addressed the unexpected attention from Trump’s camp with a mix of sincerity and subtle sarcasm. “I don’t really know why Donald Trump seems to be spending his time TiVo-ing Fox News appearances and lashing out against spokespeople,” Sams remarked. “That’s not something that the vice president does.”
Despite the flurry of attention from Trump’s team, Sams seems to be taking it in stride. The Post suggests that his calm responses may be part of a strategy to provoke further reactions from Trump. Regardless, it’s clear that Sams has become an unlikely focal point in Trump’s ongoing political battles. As the 2024 election cycle unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s fixation on this relatively unknown adviser will continue to dominate headlines.
