Judd Deere, who has recently been in the news over being summoned by the House Select Committee for an investigation into the January 6 US Capitol riots, is a former White House spokesperson.

Born in Benton, Arkansas, in 1987, Deere began his political career in 2010 as a field director for the Republican Party of Arkansas during an election in the state.

Deere’s contributions to the party were recognised fairly quickly, and he was appointed as US Senator John Boozman’s aide following his involvement in the election. Subsequently, in 2012, Deere was appointed as the Director of New Media for US Senator Mike Crapo, and served the senator from his office in Boise, Idaho.

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Two years later, in 2014, Deere started working on a campaign for former Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin. However, in December 2014, the 34-year-old was appointed as the communications director for Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, a post he held till November 2017.

Deere left Arkansas for Washington DC in 2017, when he was appointed as the director of state and local communications in the White House under Donald Trump’s administration.

The 34-year-old evidently impressed former President Trump, and secured two quick promotions over the course of two years. In September 2018, Deere was promoted to Special Assistant to the President and the Director of Media Affairs. Months later, in January 2019, the 34-year-old was promoted to Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary.

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However, Deere’s stint with the Trump administration ended on a turbulent note, with the storming of the US Capitol. As it stands, the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection has subpoenaed Deere, among others, and the former White House spokesperson stands accused of making fraudulent and inflammatory comments publicly and of having intimate knowledge about Trump’s role in instigating the violence that transpired.