- White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham is leaving that role to become first lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff and spokeswoman.
- President Donald Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany will replace Grisham as White House press secretary, NBC News reported later Tuesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
- Lindsay Reynolds, Melania Trump’s chief of staff for more than three years, resigned earlier this week “to spend time with her family,” the first lady said in a statement.
White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham is leaving that role to become Melania Trump’s chief of staff and spokeswoman, the first lady announced Tuesday.
“I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the team in this new role,” Melania Trump said in a statement. “She has been a mainstay and true leader in the Administration from even before day one, and I know she will excel as Chief of Staff.”
President Donald Trump’s campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany will replace Grisham as White House press secretary, NBC News reported later Tuesday, citing three sources familiar with the matter.
McEnany did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Grisham had served as the first lady’s communications chief before taking on the additional roles of White House press secretary and communications director last June.
In her more than nine months as White House press secretary, Grisham, 43, never held a traditional briefing in the White House press room — a regular task for nearly all other modern press secretaries.
“I continue to be honored to serve both the President and First Lady in the Administration,” Grisham said in the statement. “I will stay in the West Wing to help with a smooth transition for as long as needed.”
NBC reported that Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah is also expected to join the White House communications team. Farrah previously worked for Vice President Mike Pence and is a former congressional aide to Mark Meadows, who is now Trump’s chief of staff.
Lindsay Reynolds, who served as Melania Trump’s chief of staff for more than three years, resigned earlier this week “to spend time with her family,” the first lady’s statement said.
“I appreciate all that Lindsay Reynolds did over the past three years, and wish her well in her future endeavors,” Melania Trump said.
Excited to welcome @StephGrisham45 back as new Chief of Staff & Spokesperson. Looking forward to the years ahead as we promote #BeBest & continue preserving the @WhiteHouse & serving our great nation.
The shake-up of the White House communications team came just over a week after Meadows formally resigned as North Carolina congressman to begin his new role as chief of staff.
A senior aide to Meadows did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Grisham’s relocation within the White House.
Late last month, White House deputy communications director Jessica Ditto announced that she would depart that role, reportedly to enter the private sector.
While Grisham had abandoned the rostrum of the James S. Brady briefing room in the White House, Trump and his coronavirus task force have used it regularly in recent weeks to discuss the U.S. response to the pandemic.
Grisham rarely gave one-on-one interviews on camera with the press, outside of Fox News, where she appeared frequently. But she did make news about the coronavirus in mid-March, when she told CNBC she was working from home as a precaution after exposure to a delegation of Brazilian officials who visited Mar-a-Lago, at least one of whom later tested positive for the virus.
Grisham was announced as Trump’s third press secretary on June 25, succeeding Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who had served in that role after taking over from Sean Spicer in the summer of 2017.
Source: CNBC
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