Hope Hicks departing White House

Communications chief is 4th to leave position

WASHINGTON – Hope Hicks, the White House official most responsible for guarding President Trump’s public image, will leave the White House, officials said Wednesday.

Hicks, 29, was the fourth communications director of the Trump White House and the longest-serving — after the often chaotic tenures of Sean Spicer, Michael Dubke and Anthony Scaramucci.

She worked for Trump inside and outside the White House longer than any other senior administration official — going to work at the Trump Organization in 2014 and as the spokeswoman of his presidential campaign in 2015.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the resignation will take effect in the coming weeks or months.

The resignation was first reported by The New York Times.

The announcement came the day after Hicks declined to answer questions from a House committee investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russian agents during the 2016 election. Various accounts of that testimony — in which she reportedly said she often told white lies on behalf of the president — could have undermined her credibility.

Sanders said Hicks’ exit was unrelated to her congressional appearance.

“Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years,” Trump said in a statement.

Hope Hicks