Former Top Trump Aide Hope Hicks Takes Over FOX Communications Shop
(CBS News) — Former top Trump aide and confidante Hope Hicks has landed at FOX as the company's new chief communications officer, further strengthening ties between a White House and media empire that some might say resembles a revolving door.
Hicks, the 29-year-old former White House communications director who was at Mr. Trump's side since the earliest days of the campaign until she left the White House in March, joins the Murdoch empire at FOX — the company resulting from the merger between 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company. Hicks is relocating to Los Angeles for the role, 21st Century Fox said in a press release. The newly spun-off Fox corporation will include Fox News.
The relationship between between the White House and the Fox empire is well documented. Bill Shine, the current White House communications director, replaced Hicks after he left his former role as Fox News Channel senior vice president. Others in the Trump administration also hail from the Fox News family, including Heather Nauert, a Fox News host-turned State Department press secretary. National Security Adviser John Bolton was a Fox News contributor who frequently appeared on television before Mr. Trump plucked him to lead the National Security Council.
After Hicks' new job was made public, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted, "FOX won't find anyone smarter or more talented than Hope Hicks. So happy for my friend. They are beyond lucky to have you and the East Coast misses you already."
Mr. Trump's fondness for Fox News is well-storied, with the president frequently tweeting out quotes from his favorite hosts and guests. The president has given Fox News more interviews than any other media outlet by far — 33 to Fox News in total, according to CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. The next media outlet after that, Bloomberg, pales in comparison with six.
Hicks' relationship with the president has been a close one. She joined the Trump campaign with no political experience, but soon cemented her role as an integral part of team Trump. CBS News reported earlier this year that White House aides had viewed her departure with trepidation. At the time, one source close to the president told CBS News that Hicks stood out because the president "genuinely likes and respects her."
"Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years," the president said in a statement upon Hicks' departure from the White House. "She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood. I am sure we will work together again in the future."
— Kathryn Watson
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