White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, 29, is leaving her position in Washington, officials said Wednesday.
Hicks was the fourth communications director for Donald Trump and was also the longest serving, following the tenures of Sean Spicer, Michael Dubke and Anthony Scaramucci. She was a former model and joined the Trump administration without any prior experience in politics.
The announcement comes just one day after Hicks declined to answer questions from the House committee investigating if the Trump campaign colluded with Russian agents to win the 2016 presidential election. During the eight hour testimony, Hicks admitted that she had occasionally been required to tell white lies on behalf of the president, but swore that she had never lied about anything in connection with the Russia investigation.
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Hicks also played a part in the May 2017 firing of FBI dircteor James Comey and helped in the drafting of a statement last July in response to questions about a meeting at Trump Tower between Russians and Trump campaign officials. Hicks reportedly refused to answer questions about either incident.
Multiple White House aides asserted that Hicks’ testimony had nothing to do with her resignation today, and that she had told a small group of people that she had already planned to leave the position. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that the resignation will take effect within a matter of weeks or months, adding, “there is no definitive timeline.”
The former model shared that she had “no words” to express her appreciation for Trump, and he responded in kind. “Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years,” the president said. “She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side, but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood. I am sure we will work together again in the future.”
Hicks has made no mention of her plans for the future or her career, and often kept a low profile during her time in the White House. Chief of staff John Kelly applauded Hicks in a statement about her resignation. “I quickly realized what so many have learned about Hope: She is strategic, poised and wise beyond her years,” said John F. Kelly, the White House chief of staff. “She became a trusted adviser and counselor, and did a tremendous job overseeing the communications for the president’s agenda including the passage of historic tax reform. She has served her country with great distinction. To say that she will be missed is an understatement.”
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