On Wednesday, February 28^th, Washington confirmed that the White House communications directors Hope Hicks would be stepping down. The twenty-nine year old was one of Trump’s closest aides during her time under his administration and is one of his longest-serving advisors. Notable about Hicks was the relatively low profile she maintained during her time working at the White House.

Hope Hicks is set to step down in the coming weeks. Photo courtesy of The New York Times.

A day prior to the announcement of her resignation, Hicks testified in front of the U.S. House of Representatives and admitted to telling lies during her time as Communications Director. This admission came out during Hicks’ nine-hour interview held by the House in relation to Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. According to the New York Post, Hicks admitted to telling small lies on behalf of President Trump but “had not lied about anything relevant to the Russia investigation.”

There is much talk about her replacement, with predictions circling that Mercedes Schlapp, who has gradually taken on more of Hicks’ roles over the past few months, will fill the position.

Hicks was also recently implicated in the scandal that resulted in the resignation of White House staff secretary Rob Porter. Porter stepped down from his position after his two ex-wives accused him of domestic abuse. Hicks was scrutinized for coming to Porter’s defense and for the fact that the two were romantically linked at the time.

Hicks has said that she wishes to pursue jobs outside of the government and will thus return to the private sector with a great addition to her resume. Her employment under President Trump was the first time she had worked in politics, as she had been recruited to become an advisor to the president while working as a consultant for his daughter, Ivanka Trump.

By: Mary Moskowitz’18, IHA News Editor