Steve Cortes – Bio & Facts About The Former Trump Campaign Operative

The political landscape in the United States has been more polarized than it has ever been in recent history since President Trump took office in 2017. As with every President before him, having opposition and allies are two nonnegotiable sides of the coin he has inherited. For Trump, one of the people who have stood firm as an ally since before he took office is Steve Cortes.

Cortes is a television broadcaster, an author, and a political commentator who is has been in full support of Trump’s office and helped shape the narrative that put him in office. Steve is not one to shy away from any kind of confrontation and has repeatedly used his position to swat away haters and naysayers of the present government.

But besides his political leanings, the former Trump campaign operative also boasts a robust track record in finance, market research, and media. Besides his regular appearance on networks like CNN and Fox, Cortes also regularly contributes his financial expertise at CNBC, one of the global leading networks in financial news.

Steve, fondly referred to as ‘El Capital’, has a healthy sense of humor. He is a frequent speaker at live conventions, conferences, and colleges and is also not afraid to take an unpopular stance on hot-button issues like immigration.

Steve Cortes Early Life

Steve’s date of birth, information on his early years, and early education and yet unknown. However, he has three siblings, all girls, from his parents. They were all raised in Chicago, Illinois. Cortes’s father immigrated to the US where he got an education from Indiana Tech. His father grew up on a ranch in Colombia in the 1930s.

For his education, Steve enrolled in Georgetown University in 1990. He was a stellar student and earned himself a nomination for a Rhodes Scholarship. Besides his education, Steve Cortes was also active in the school’s football team. He was also a George F. Baker Scholar and he graduated from Georgetown in 1994.

Cortes is married to his wife, Holly Cortes. They tied the knot on May 16, 1998, and together they have four kids; three daughters and a son.

Interesting Facts About The Former Trump Campaign Operative

1. Steve Cortes worked in finance right out of school

He is mostly known as a political commentator, but the media man had started his career in the finance sector. He started working for a company known as Prudential Financial, Inc., in 1994, the same year he left Georgetown. His job description at the firm was to sell government bonds.

He soon added Wall Street trader and strategist to his portfolio, a role he has fulfilled for about two decades. Cortes also heads the strategy department at BGC Partners. The firm caters to hedge funds and banks, providing them with risk management strategies.

Even when he became a broadcaster, the Chicago native started out with CNBC, where the topic of discussion was the financial markets. His time as a political commentator came much later.

2. He has worked closely with the Trump administration

During the thick of the presidential race in 2016, Steve Cortes joined Trump’s campaign as its official television surrogate. He also sat as one of the members of Trump’s Hispanic Advisory Council.

Following Trump’s assumption of office, Steve was brought on as an advisor to the President in an informal capacity. He is also a regular contributor to Fox News, especially on the Halftime Report. The financial broadcaster and Trump advisor continue to be an on-air broadcaster at Bloomberg TV, CNBC, and Fox.

3. Cortes is the founder of Veracruz LLC

The former Trump surrogate took his financial know-how a step further in 2002 with the establishment of his own financial services firm Veracruz LLC. The company caters to brokers, hedge funds, banks, and sovereign wealth funds by providing them with daily real-time market-researched commentaries and ideas on the equity and fixed income markets in the US.

When Cortes was naming the company, he wanted to put a religious spin on it, hence the name Veracruz. The word means “true cross” in Spanish.

4. He published his first book in 2011

Steve Cortes has is known for often swimming against the current when it comes to his political and financial assertions. In the same vein, he published his first book in 2011, titled Against the Herd: 6 Contrarian Investment Strategies You Should Follow.

In the book, he puts forward six seemingly counterintuitive views on major events that he believes will shape the future of investments and the global markets. Some of these events include the end of free trade and the fall of China. He also shows how to take advantage of those events to make good investment decisions.

The book also makes clear Cortes’ belief that the United States is and will increasingly become one of the best investment destinations in the world.

5. His mother wanted him the University of Notre Dame

Steve’s mother was not entirely pleased with his choice of Georgetown University. She wanted her son to enroll at the University of Notre Dame. Even though her wish did not come true, there were other members of the family who decided to take that route. One of Steve’s sisters and his niece are alumni of the University of Notre Dame.

6. Steve Cortes met his wife through a friend who was interested in her

Cortes’s first meeting with his wife only happened because one of his college buddies at the time was after her. On one occasion, the said friend wanted to spend time with Holly and decided to bring Cortes along with him.

One thing led to another, and eventually, Cortes fell for Holly and they started dating. Since their marriage in 1998, the couple has three daughters – Chase, Kingsley, and Elizabeth – and a son whose name is unknown.