President Donald Trump offered Hope Hicks the White House communication director role and she has accepted the position, according to a White House insider, although it is reportedly on an interim basis.
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman wrote Hicks is serving the role in an interim fashion and helping find a permanent replacement.
Re Daily Caller on Hicks - she's playing role of interim comms director,not expected to take title, or move desks, helping find perm person
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 16, 2017
The New York Times reported:
President Trump’s longtime aide Hope Hicks will serve as the interim White House director of communications and will help the president find a permanent person for the job, according to a senior administration official.
However temporary it is, it was the latest reshuffling in the White House and comes at a time when the president’s remarks on white supremacistswere drawing fire from Democrats and Republicans. The role of communications director is to set a clear and direct message coming from the White House each day.
Ms. Hicks, 28, already is considered one of the most important people in the president’s communications orbit and has the most sway over who in the news media gets interviews with the president. Her current title is director of strategic communications.
Hicks, currently the White House director of strategic communications, takes over the role that Anthony Scaramucci held for just ten days before being fired by Trump, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported:
Hicks has been close by Trump’s side since the early days of the campaign and is one of his most trusted staffers. She has been serving on the press team in more of a behind-the-scenes role as the director of strategic communications.
The communications director position has been open since President Trump fired Anthony Scaramucci in July, just ten days after the Mooch took over the position from former press secretary Sean Spicer. Trump ditched Scaramucci shortly after he decided to bring on Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly as his new chief of staff.
Hicks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hicks, 28, was profiled earlier this year in Forbes 30 under 30 for her role as campaign press secretary in 2016. She has no other political experience; she joined the Trump Organization in 2014 and quickly rose up the ranks.
UPDATE: 8:25 A.M.: This report was updated with Haberman's tweet that the role is on an interim basis.
UPDATE: 9:46 A.M.: This report was updated with additional information from the New York Times.