White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, President Donald Trump’s longest-serving aide, announced her resignation on Wednesday.
Hicks, 29, has been a longtime member of the Trump family’s inner circle, having served as press secretary for his presidential campaign before being tapped to join the White House staff. Hicks, a former model, previously worked for the Trump Organization and for Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand.
Her resignation, first reported by The New York Times, comes a day after she appeared before the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, and acknowledged that she sometimes tells “white lies” for the president, according to lawmakers.
Her exact departure date is to be determined, but it will be sometime in the next few weeks. Officials said she wanted to pursue new opportunities outside the White House
In a statement, Hicks thanked the president for his “gratitude.”
Trump also issued a statement praising Hicks for her service.
“Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years. She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person,” the president said. “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,” the president said in a statement.”