Finding that he disagreed with Democrats in his family and those he met during internships, Shah cast his first vote for George W. Bush in 2004, and interned in the White House in 2005.

[1] While working as a campaign spokesman for New Mexico Republican gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez in 2010, he was arrested for DWI and reckless driving, and was immediately terminated from his position.

[4][5] By the 2012 presidential election cycle, Shah was deputy research director at the Republican National Committee (RNC).

Shah co-founded America Rising, "a right-leaning political action committee that produces opposition research on Democratic candidates".

Then-incoming White House Chief of Staff and outgoing RNC head Reince Priebus said that Shah would be among the key leaders in helping to implement Trump's agenda.

[7] Shah was one of the early staffers on duty in the White House on Inauguration Day, attending to reporters' inquiries and beginning establishment of the communications apparatus (emails of 'OCIO' distributions of the address and the first White House pool report were early to go out) in the West Wing and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.