Chief of Staff of the First Lady and former press secretary of WH resigns due to violent protests

Chief of Staff of the First Lady and former press secretary of WH resigns due to violent protests

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Grisham was one of the oldest Trump administration officials, having started his term working for then-candidate Donald Trump in 2015 as a campaign press officer. Grisham entered the White House as Sean Spicer’s press secretary, but in March 2017, Melania Trump hired her for her team in the east wing. As director of communications for the East Wing, Grisham quickly became the first lady’s most prominent employee, serving as a defender, executor, and often protector.

Grisham declined a CNN request for comment. The First Lady’s office did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.

Trump urges crowd into violent end to presidency
President Donald Trump’s incitement and refusal to condemn the violence is causing more and more discussions among his advisers about the resignation. While the Trump administration is only 14 days away – and the last days of many aides will come before January 20 – many are disgusted by the president’s behavior and no longer believe they can serve him. It remains to be seen whether more people will join Grisham in resigning, but the level of frustration within the White House is leading to a growing sense that Trump will be more isolated than ever in his last days in office.
In May 2019, Trump chose Grisham to be his third press secretary, as well as assume the role of director of communications for the White House, and retain the same role for the first lady, a triad of functions that had not previously been assigned to a person. Grisham, who replaced Sarah Sanders as press secretary, was in office for only a year, notably never giving a press conference on camera, which for decades was standard operating procedure for a White House press secretary.

Grisham eventually clashed with Trump’s newly appointed chief of staff, Mark Meadows, disagreeing on several issues, from communication strategies for the president to staffing decisions, and creating a fissure between the press office and Meadows, according with the officer.

In April last year, Grisham was replaced by Kayleigh McEnany as press secretary and returned to the first lady’s office in an expanded role, becoming her chief of staff, a position she held until her departure on Wednesday. Grisham’s decision to resign two weeks before the Trumps left the White House was precipitated by several months of consternation and struggle, said another senior White House official familiar with his thinking.

The official described Grisham as having a “very close” relationship with the First Lady, although Wednesday’s resignation was not the first time that Grisham considered leaving his post. The official said Grisham faced a flurry of challenges and what the source described as a “whisper campaign” and “roadblocks” launched by opponents in the West Wing. Grisham has also expressed in recent months the desire to live closer to the family in the Midwest.

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