White House counselor Kellyanne Conway explained departing communications director Hope Hicks decision to resign in a Thursday morning interview on “Fox & Friends.”
WATCH:
Hicks’ resignation came just one day after she testified before the House Intelligence Committee on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and the departure of her ex-boyfriend, former White House staff secretary Rob Porter after his two ex-wives re-raised allegations of spousal abuse. She was a member of the president’s inner circle from the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign and was considered one of his closest confidants inside the West Wing.
Conway said her departure, announced Wednesday evening, is really a matter of exhaustion. “It’s very simple. Hope has been doing this three years, non-stop,” she said, adding that her departure did not mean she was leaving Trump’s service permanently. “As the president says, she’ll probably be back in his orbit at some time, some day, to help yet again.”
“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. 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,” Trump said in a statement following news of Hicks’ departure.
Hicks herself issued a rare on-the-record statement saying, “There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump. I wish the President and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country.”