Hicks, one of a handful of campaign aides to have stuck with Donald Trump through his first tumultuous year in the White House, has resigned. In a departure from previous resignations, her soon-to-be-former colleagues expressed sorrow at her departure.
Hope Hicks is loved & admired by all who know her. It’s with a heavy heart, but tremendous gratitude, that I wish her well in her next steps
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) February 28, 2018
For years, Hicks has been portrayed as a rare stabilizing force on Trump’s team. Her departure only underscores the peculiar challenges of serving in this administration, which has undergone an unprecedented amount of turnover in its short life. As a public relations professional, her job—her one job—was to spin the Trump administration’s straw into gold. She was unable to do that, and has instead become mired in scandal herself.
Trump reportedly believed that Hicks had prioritized her own romantic relationship with Rob Porter in directing the White House’s response to the Porter scandal. CNN also reported on Wednesday that Trump “berated” her after she admitted telling “white lies” for him during a House hearing into the Russia controversy. As Anne Helen Peterson recently wrote for Buzzfeed, “Trump looks at Hicks, much as he looks at Ivanka, and sees the kind of woman who would serve the classy, respected man he believes himself to be.” It turns out Hicks wasn’t quite that woman, and it’s unclear anyone could be.