White House Communications Director Mike Dubke has formally resigned from his post, according to a White House official. Dubke tendered his resignation on May 18, and then stayed on through the end of President Donald Trump's first major international trip.
Dubke resigned in a private meeting with Trump; Trump immediately accepted the resignation, according to Politico.
"The reasons for my departure are personal, but it has been my great honor to serve President Trump and this administration," Dubke wrote in an email to friends this morning. "It has also been my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments. This White House is filled with some of the finest and hardest working men and women in the American Government."
Dubke's last day may be as early as Tuesday. He will be attending a meeting with his staff, according to an anonymous source speaking to the Washington Post.
The departure comes as Trump reportedly may be considering substantial shifts in personnel.
Dubke was a rare addition to the White House staff who was not previously associated with Trump, the Trump campaign, or the transition staff. He joined the administration three months ago, midway through February. The Post suggested that Dubke struggled to build relationships in the sometimes fractious White House.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday morning, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway downplayed the significance of Dubke's departure, emphasizing that he had left of his own volition.
"He has expressed his desire to leave the White House and made very clear that he would see through the president's international trip and come to work every day and work hard even through that trip," she said.
Before coming to the White House, Dubke was a Republican strategist, notable for his close ties to major party figures like Karl Rove. He told Politico that he expects to return to the public affairs firm Black Rock Group.