» Hope Hicks named interim White House communications director
Here are five things to know about the 28-year-old woman who is considered one of Trump's most valued advisers.
1. She's been with Trump since the beginning
Her association with the Trump family predates Donald Trump's candidacy.
According to GQ, Hicks first worked with Ivanka Trump when she was at a public relations firm. She joined the Trump Organization in 2014, where she soon drew the attention of Donald Trump himself. Months later, when Trump was mulling his presidential bid, he called Hicks into her office.
"Mr. Trump looked at me and said, 'I'm thinking about running for president, and you're going to be my press secretary,'" Hicks said, according to New York magazine. "I think it's 'the year of the outsider.' It helps to have people with outsider perspective."
2. Communications is in her blood
Her only political communications experience is with Trump's campaign and administration, but her family has worked in public relations for decades. Her father, Paul, ran communications for the NFL and now is managing director of the Glover Park Group in Washington. Both of her grandfathers also worked in public relations, according to GQ. Additionally, her parents met while working on Capitol Hill, according to Town and Country magazine.
3. Her current job at the White House is in 'strategic communications'
While she worked as the Trump campaign's press secretary, she took a behind-the-scenes role when Trump took office as his director of strategic communications. That has left her outside of any sort of organizational chart. According to Politico, her role is more about "strategically communicating with the president" than working with the press. Unlike other advisers, she's not an avid Twitter user, with only three retweets on her account. She has recently drawn attention for being the only administration official present at the New York Times interview in which the president criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
4. She makes just as much as other top White House officials
A financial report released by the White House revealed Hicks was one of the top-paid administration officials. She makes $179,700, the highest salary that can be paid to a White House employee, alongside other top advisers such as Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway.
5. She's a Trump favorite
The president has a nickname for Hicks: the "Hopester," according to Politico.
"I thought Hope was outstanding," the president said of Hicks during the 2016 campaign, per GQ.
She is also close to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who have had her over for Shabbat dinner at their home in Washington.
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