Hope Hicks: Why role of Donald Trump’s Communications Director is cursed

IT’S one of the most prestigious jobs on Earth, but no one wants to stay in it. And it’s causing a huge headache for Donald Trump.

IT IS fast becoming the White House role that no one wants.

The shock resignation of White House communications director Hope Hicks means US President Donald Trump has to fill the position for the fifth time in just over a year.

Ms Hicks told colleagues she felt she had accomplished everything she could in the role, and wished the President “the very best as he continues to lead our country”.

News of Ms Hicks’ impending exit comes just one day after she was questioned behind closed doors for a gruelling nine hours by the House Intelligence Committee.

While the timing of her resignation is suspicious, being so close to her testimony, New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman said Ms Hicks had been thinking about leaving for months.

Symone Sanders, Democratic Communications Consultant, told CNN it was inevitable Ms Hicks resigned.

White House Communications Director Hope Hicks will be leaving the top job. Picture: Evan Vucci/AP

She said one of the first rules of people undertaking a communications role was that you couldn’t lie.

“You cannot be the White House communications director ... if you’re admitting that you are in fact a liar,” Ms Sanders said.

Ms Hicks was appointed to the role last September having filled in as interim communications director.

It remains unclear when the woman, who many credit with being in charge of who gets to interview the President, will officially leave the post.

Ms Hicks’ replacement has not yet been announced but given how long previous directors have lasted it remains to be seen how long the next one will stay.

Ms Hicks replaced the ever controversial Anthony Scaramucci, who was sacked in July after just 11 days in the job. Before him Sean Spicer and Mike Dubke both had stints in the role.

Lowy Institute non-resident fellow Professor James Curran said most administrations will suffer their fair share of churn in the first 18 months.

However the University of Sydney history professor said Ms Hicks’ “departure will do little to alter the widespread perception of a Trump White House struggling to overcome a pattern of chaos and dysfunction”.

Hope Hicks
Josh Raffel
Rob Porter
Omarosa Manigault Newman
Tom Price
Sebastian Gorka
Steve Bannon
Anthony Scaramucci
Reince Priebus
Sean Spicer
Preet Bharara
James Comey
Michael Flynn
Sally Yates
Craig Deare
Angella Reid
Mike Dubke
Patrick F. Kennedy https://t.co/ShaBzkElcB pic.twitter.com/q75G4qpoV3

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) February 28, 2018

Here are some of the other Communications Directors who took up the post but soon left.

THE MOOCH

Perhaps the most colourful and certainly most outspoken, Anthony Scaramucci caused waves and not only for his brash approach with the media.

Mr Scaramucci was largely blamed for igniting an “all-out civil war” inside the West Wing during his short stint and waged a crusade against leaders while publicly unleashing on his colleagues.

Anthony Scaramucci held the position for just 11 days. Picture: Jim Watson/AFP

However it was an expletive-filled rant which appeared to be his final downfall.

During a phone call with The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza, he threatened to go on a firing spree and “f***ing kill all the leakers”.

“Reince is a f***ing paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac,” he said, referring to the chief of staff Reince Priebus.

“I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own c**k,” he added, taking aim at Mr Trump’s senior political strategist.

His vulgar interview did not go down well with then incoming chief of staff John Kelly who saw removing Mr Scaramucci as crucial in his effort to change the culture of the White House.

SEAN SPICER

Another colourful figure, Mr Spicer was an outspoken critic of the media and called out supposed fake news.

However, his tenure was marked by controversy including the claim that Mr Trump had the biggest inauguration figures ever.

Following Mr Trump’s inauguration last January, Mr Spicer launched an unprecedented assault on the media, accusing reporters of downplaying the turnout at his inauguration.

“This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period” Mr Spicer said.

He tried to claim photos comparing Mr Trump and Barack Obama’s floor inauguration crowds looked different due to floor coverings.

Sean Spicer stepped down from his role in the White House following the appointment of Mr Scaramucci. Picture: Nicholas Kaam/AFP

“Photographs of the inaugural proceedings were intentionally framed in a way, one particular tweet minimised the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall,” he said.

“This was the first time in our nation’s history that floor coverings were used to protect the grass. That had the effect of highlighting areas where people are not standing, while in years past, the grass eliminated this visual.”

An estimated 1.8 million people attended Mr Obama’s inauguration in 2009.

Washington authorities predicted 800,000 to 900,000 would attend Mr Trump’s inauguration.

The New York Times estimated the crowd on the National Mall was about one-third the size of Mr Obama’s.

However it was his Hitler comparison that raised eyebrows.

During an April interview Mr Spicer attempted to answer a question on a chemical attack in Syria when he made a strange comparison to the German dictator.

“You had someone as despicable as Hitler … who didn’t even sink to using chemical weapons,” he said.

The comments sparked a huge backlash and an apology from Mr Spicer.

The embattled press secretary resigned in July after Mr Scaramucci was appointed to the top job and reportedly told the president that he believed the appointment was a big mistake.

MICHAEL DUBKE

High-profile and experienced Republican party strategist stepped down from the role in late May amid a major shake-up in the administration.

Mr Dubke was in the role for three months.

Michael Dubke was Mr Trump’s first official Communications Director. Source: supplied

US media reported there was internal discontent among the Trump camp that Mr Dubke had won the top job.

Some felt a veteran from the campaign trail would have been better suited to the high-pressure role.

JASON MILLER

Originally Mr Trump’s first choice to be Communications Director, the veteran Republican media consultant quite before the President’s inauguration took place.

Mr Miller stepped away from the role after a senior colleague hinted that he may be embroiled in a sex scandal.

In a statement, he said he decided not to accept the role offered to him by Mr Trump so he can spend more time with his family.

Jason Miller was Mr Trump’s first pick for the top job. Picture: Jewel Samad/AFP

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