Hope Hicks Announcing Her Departure From the White House

On Wednesday, Hope Hicks informed President Trump that she planned to leave the White House. Mr. Trump expressed the sentiment that he understands that Ms. Hick’s desire and ambition to start a new chapter of her life outside of the White House, according to a person with knowledge of their private conversation. The person also suggested that Ms. Hicks has been increasing discontent with her role, leading to her decision of departure.

Ms. Hicks, who had zero political experience three years ago, has risen to public attention as the White House communications director and impressed the world with her bottomless tolerance and patience for her mercurial charge. She has become the closest person to the most powerful man in the world without prior experience, an impressive and almost impossible task.

Ms. Hicks, 29, grew up in the suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut, does have powerful political backgrounds, as both her father and grandfather were prominent men in public relations.

The reason for her decision to depart from the White House, is mainly her aversion and wariness from the spotlight as her private life has taken a toll, becoming the center of public interest. She had been dating the former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, and last month he was accused of domestic abuse by his former wives. This has created ripples in her formerly strictly guarded private life. Paparazzi started gathering around her apartment building and her judgement was questioned by Mr. Trump after the White House initially defended Mr. Porter.

Her involvement in helping to write a statement by President Trump about a 2016 meeting with Russian officials, however, has drawn even more attention to her name. Federal investigators have been ordered to speak with her regarding the subject and on Tuesday, she testified before the House Intelligence Committee for eight hours. Her name made headlines as she admitted to the committee of her occasional disintegrate as part of her job.

Ms. Hicks was an important point of contact between the White House and the reporters, editors and executives of public media. While Trump himself is rather easily distracted, she managed to arrange meeting times and coordinate interviews with him rather easily, being a huge helper for the News and media industry.

For journalists, Ms. Hicks was among the few officials they could rely on and trust as she remained rather uninvolved with internal fighting in the White House. She has a close circle of confidants and enjoyed visiting family in Connecticut. According to her friends, even though she is still unsure of definite plans for the future, she has decided to move away from Washington and has already declined a few book agents.

Ms. Hicks’s carrier started as a young model featured in Ralph Lauren catalog and young adult paperbacks. She then took up the job of working for Ms. Trump’s apparel and licensing brand, before becoming the gatekeeper of the Oval Office. Her advance in her career is faced with doubt and dismissal. Jia Tolentino, a New Yorker writer, commented about her departure via twitter: “Goodbye to Hope Hicks, an object lesson in the quickest way a woman can advance under misogyny: silence, beauty, and unconditional deference to men.”

In Washington, however, her success is attributed to her qualities. She had a nuanced and deep understanding about Trump’s often fickle moods and was able to nudge him away from his impulses effectively. She also was a skillful liaison, linking some of the most prominent journalists in this country.

Her departure from the White House marks the end of an era and has led to concerns about Mr. Trump’s ability to work without an aide, especially someone he has trusted and relied on for the past three years.

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