Hope Hicks, Donald Trump’s 29-year-old communications director, whom he has publicly lauded — most recently calling her “fantastic” and stating that he couldn’t ask “for anything more” — is set to resign in the next several weeks, the New York Times reports.
Hicks has reportedly been toying with the idea of leaving for months, White House aides told the New York Times. She reportedly told colleagues that she felt that she had accomplished all that she could during her time working with the Trump administration, and that there would never be a perfect time to leave.
In a statement Hicks gave reported by Washington Post, Hicks said, “There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump ... I wish the President and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country.”
Hicks' resignation will likely make her boss "sad!" (as he is fond of saying) — but who could blame her for wanting to move on? The last couple months have been rough for Hicks. News about her resignation comes one day after she spent several hours testifying in front of House Intelligence Committee investigators — where she admitted that she tells Trump white lies — and nearly one month after news broke that her then-boyfriend, Rob Porter, was allegedly a serial abuser. White House aides told the Times that her departure is unrelated to her appearance before the House Intelligence Committee.
Trump released a statement to the New York Times in response to her resignation.
“Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years,” Trump 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.”
It is unclear when Hicks' last day will be, but it is likely to be in the coming weeks, the New York Times reports. Her next career move has yet to be revealed. Hicks, who is from Greenwich, Connecticut, did not start her career in politics. Her first job in 2011 was at Hiltzik Strategies, a communications consulting firm that represented Ivanka Trump’s fashion line, which how she got in with the Trump family. Sources tell the Washington Post Hicks hasn't ruled out working for Trump again in the future, including the 2020 reelection campaign.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly also released a statement to the New York Times.
“I quickly realized what so many have learned about Hope: She is strategic, poised and wise beyond her years,” Kelly said. “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.”
Hicks has kept a relatively low profile since working for Trump, which may have kept her in Trump's good graces in an admnistration whose staffing resembles a revolving door. Hicks was notoriously loyal and patient with Trump. In a profile of Hicks in GQ magazine, a source said part of Hicks’ job was to deal with Trump’s “tantrums.”
Tantrums no more. Perhaps there’s hope for Hicks after all.
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