|
Melania Trump announced the development in a tweet to conclude
the president's search for a press secretary after Sanders
decided to resign and go back home to Arkansas earlier this
month.
Grisham, 42, a fixture in the Arizona Republican Party, was one
of Trump's first hires for his presidential campaign - as a
press aide in 2015.
She served as a deputy press secretary in the White House when
he took office in January 2017 and eventually moved over to the
first lady's operation, and she has been fiercely loyal to the
Trumps.
A clue that the president was leaning toward Grisham for the job
came when aides said she had been added to the White House team
going with Trump to the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, and Seoul,
South Korea, this week.
The fact that Mrs. Trump announced the appointment, instead of
the president himself, showed that the first lady was willing to
part with Grisham.
Grisham will have the dual role of press secretary and
communications director. Sanders had essentially been doing both
roles as well, without the communications director title.
Melania Trump's tweet said: "I am pleased to announce
@StephGrisham45 will be the next @PressSec & Comms Director! She
has been with us since 2015 - @potus & I can think of no better
person to serve the Administration & our country. Excited to
have Stephanie working for both sides of the @WhiteHouse. #BeBest"
Grisham was viewed internally as the candidate with the best
rapport with President Trump, a key requirement.
Trump told reporters he offered Grisham the job on Tuesday
morning.
"I think she's going to do a great job," he said. "It's a big
job. It's a very big job."
With his tweets and multiple exchanges with reporters, Trump is
in many ways his own press secretary and communications
director, and Sanders' role grew to being a senior adviser.
There have been some internal discussions about bringing back
the daily press briefing but whether Trump would allow it
remained unclear. He all but ended the practice and it has been
more than three months since the last one.
The other top candidate had been Sanders' principal deputy press
secretary, Hogan Gidley. The president said Gidley had
recommended Grisham for the job, and that Gidley will be staying
in his deputy role.
Tony Sayegh, a former Treasury Department spokesman, had been
considered as well but was in the midst of a move home to New
York. Former State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert
withdrew herself from consideration.
Michael Anton, former spokesman at the National Security
Council, had also been under consideration.
Gidley tweeted his congratulations to Grisham.
"Amazing announcement! So proud and blessed to have my good
friend @StephGrisham45 working with our team. She is a rockstar
and perfect to fill Sarah’s shoes!" he said.
Sanders is contemplating a political future in Arkansas,
considering a 2022 run for state governor, a position once held
by her father, Republican Mike Huckabee.
The New York Times said Grisham in 2013 was charged with driving
under the influence, speeding and driving with an invalid
license, charges that were reduced in 2014.
The Times said Grisham was pulled over again in Arizona in
December 2015 and charged with driving under the influence, and
pleaded guilty, was fined and ordered into a treatment program.
Grisham told The Times she had completed what she described as a
safety class and paid the fines, and that she disclosed the
episodes to the White House before going to work there.
(Reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; editing by Jonathan
Oatis and James Dalgleish)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
