Katrina Pierson

In 1997, at 20, Pierson was arrested for shoplifting, to which she pleaded no contest, received deferred adjudication, and, ultimately, a dismissal with the case sealed.

Pierson received an associate of science degree from Kilgore College. In 2006, she earned a Bachelor's in biology from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Pierson worked for InVentiv Health in 2008, the Baylor Health Care System from July 2009 to August 2011, as a practice administrator, for ASG Software Solutions, as the director of corporate affairs, from May 2011 to December 2012, and then in a variety of jobs until being hired by the Trump campaign.

Pierson voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. She became an activist in the Tea Party movement in 2009. Speaking in April 2009 at a Dallas Tea Party event, she called for Texas to secede from the U.S. She founded a local Tea Party group in Garland, Texas. In 2012, Pierson actively supported Ted Cruz in the 2012 Senate race in Texas and appeared on stage with him on election night in November.

In the 2014 Texas congressional elections, Pierson challenged incumbent congressman Pete Sessions in the Republican primary to represent Texas' 32nd district and lost. Her candidacy was endorsed by Rafael Cruz and by Sarah Palin.

In January 2015, Pierson attended a meeting for Tea Party activists in Myrtle Beach with Ted Cruz. While in Myrtle Beach, she also met with Donald Trump. In November 2015 she was hired as the national spokesperson for Trump's campaign, subsequently appearing frequently on television in that capacity, often being seen as one of Trump's staunchest defenders amidst controversial comments.

After the 2016 election, Pierson turned down an administration position as Deputy Press Secretary, and instead worked at America First Policies, a pro-Trump 501(c)(4) group. In March 2018, the Trump 2020 campaign hired Pierson as a senior adviser.