Stephanie Grisham, the former White House communications director and press secretary and current chief of staff for first lady Melania Trump, submitted her resignation Wednesday afternoon, effective immediately, in the wake of the violent protests, a White House official says.
Grisham was one of the longest-serving Trump administration officials, having begun her tenure working for then-candidate Donald Trump in 2015 as a press wrangler on the campaign trail.
Grisham entered the White House as deputy press secretary under Sean Spicer, but in March 2017, Melania Trump hired her for her East Wing staff.
As East Wing communications director, Grisham quickly became the first lady's most prominent staffer, acting as defender, enforcer and, often, protector.
"It has been an honor to serve the country in the White House. I am very proud to have been a part of Mrs. Trump's mission to help children everywhere, and proud of the many accomplishments of this Administration," Grisham told CNN in a statement.
The first lady's office did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
President Donald Trump'sinciting and refusal to condemn the violence is causing increased discussion among his aides about resigning.
While there are only 14 days left in Trump's administration -- and many aides' final days will come before January 20 -- many are disgusted by the President's behavior and no longer believe they can serve him.
Whether more join Grisham in resigning remains to be seen, but the level of frustration inside the White House is leading to a growing sense that Trump will be more isolated than ever in his final days in office.
In May 2019, Trump tapped Grisham to be his third press secretary, as well as take on the role of White House communications director, and maintain the same role for the first lady, a trifecta of jobs that had not prior been tasked to one person.
Grisham, who replaced Sarah Sanders as press secretary, was in the role for just shy of one year, notably never once holding an on-camera press briefing, which for decades had been standard operating procedure for a White House press secretary.
Grisham eventually clashed with Trump's newly appointed chief of staff Mark Meadows, disagreeing on multiple issues, from communications strategies for the President to staffing decisions, and creating a fissure between the press office and Meadows, according to the official.
In April last year, Grisham was replaced with Kayleigh McEnany as press secretary and returned to the first lady's office in an amplified role, becoming her chief of staff, a position she held until her Wednesday departure.
Grisham's decision to resign two weeks before the Trumps make their exit from the White House was precipitated by several months of consternation and struggle, said another senior White House official familiar with her thinking.
The official described Grisham as having a "very close" relationship with the first lady, though Wednesday's resignation was not the first time Grisham had considered leaving her post.
The official said Grisham faced a barrage of challenges and what the source described as a "whisper campaign" and "roadblocks" launched by adversaries in the West Wing.
Grisham had also in recent months expressed a desire to live closer to family in the Midwest.
Latest Stories
-
PSG clinch Ligue 1 title after Lyon’s win over Monaco
31 mins -
Guinness Ghana sets the pace at Ghana Beverage Awards with six awards
52 mins -
Burkina Faso suspends BBC, VOA radio broadcasts over killings coverage
57 mins -
Nicole Kidman honoured with AFI Life Achievement Award
1 hour -
Brassier scores winner for Brest as they edge Rennes to secure European football
1 hour -
Ejisu by-election: Akufo-Addo jabs independent candidate; refutes allegations to rig elections
2 hours -
‘What are the real causes of the erratic power outages?’ GUTA demands from ECG
2 hours -
Implementing ESG framework in Ghana’s energy sector for sustainability
2 hours -
CAFCC: Dreams FC exit competition after 3-0 defeat in Kumasi
2 hours -
The detrimental effects of political interference on Ghana’s electricity sustainability
2 hours -
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang’s appointment as running mate intimidates the NPP – Benjamin Quashie
3 hours -
Black Stars physical trainer dead
3 hours -
Bawumia to kick off nationwide campaign for Election 2024 tomorrow
3 hours -
GUTA charges ECG to provide ‘dumsor’ timetable for businesses to plan
3 hours -
Reason for training professional counsellors is to heal a hurting world – CCP president
5 hours