Hope Hicks, the White House communications director who has been part of President Donald Trump’s inner circle since joining his campaign in 2016, said Wednesday she is resigning.
Hicks has been considering leaving for several months, the New York Times reported. At 29, she is the youngest person in Trump’s inner circle and one of its strongest leaders. In September, she succeeded Anthony Scaramucci after he spent less than two weeks as communications director following an expletive-filled interview he gave to The New Yorker.
Hicks, one of Trump’s longest serving advisers, said she’ll leave in the coming weeks. Her announcement comes one day after appearing before the House Intelligence Committee as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.
“There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump,” Hicks said in a statement. “I wish the President and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country.”
Hicks, a former model, didn’t say what her plans would be after leaving the White House job nor did she give a specific exit date.
Trump issued a statement praising Hicks and offering support. “I will miss having her by my side, but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood,” Trump said in the statement.