Trump campaign veterans start outside group

President Trump’s political allies on Monday launched a nonprofit that looks to capitalize on the grassroots support that led him to the Oval Office and to support his agenda from outside the White House.

America First Policies includes a handful of prominent Trump campaign veterans. Brad Parscale, Trump’s former digital director, will help lead the effort with two former aides to Vice President Mike Pence — Nick Ayers and Marty Obst.

Rick Gates, a close confidant of Trump’s second campaign manager, Paul Manafort, rounds out the leadership team.

Former Trump deputy campaign manager David Bossie and spokeswoman Katrina Pierson will also be part of the new organization.

{mosads}”President Trump campaigned on a bold but basic concept: America First. This is a concept the American people both understand and support, but few in the media recognize and many politicians beholden to special interests will oppose. We will provide the counter balance,” the group said in a statement.

“And while our funding will be significant — the most powerful thing this organization can do is harness the power and energy from everyday ordinary Americans, and give them a voice in this process. If their voices are heard, ‘America First’ policies championed by The White House will prevail.”

The effort is similar Organizing for America’s work during President Obama’s time in office, when the project played a major role in pushing forward key Obama agenda issues such as healthcare reform and brought on a handful of top Obama campaign staff.

The Trump group is expected to chart a similar route.

Like OFA, America First Policies will almost certainly have access to some of the data gleaned from Trump’s election victory, which could provide a huge fundraising boon. But officials with the organization did not respond to requests to comment about what data they will be able to use.

The group’s press release noted that it will not accept donations from lobbyists.