Hill staff craves direction from Trump White House

Republican congressional aides charged with speaking for their bosses are hopeful that President Trump's new communications director will help keep the Hill better informed about White House policy decisions, after a month of what many described as an almost total lack of coordination.

"There was really no outreach at the beginning," said one House press secretary. "That has improved slightly."

After catching Republican lawmakers off guard with a controversial weekend immigration order that has since been struck down by a panel of federal judges, the Trump administration is trying to give key lawmakers a heads up about executive orders now, the press secretary said. But the system isn't yet as good as many hope.

"It's improved but still a bit hit or miss," the source said.

"They tell us things too late," another House press secretary complained. "It would be so much easier to all be on the same page if they could give us a heads up when things [like executive orders] are coming. But they don't. Then, when things do drop and we're trying to all coordinate, they don't have any kind of real messaging for us at all."