Outgoing White House communications director Hope Hicks deserves praise for stepping aside as she became a figure of controversy inside the Trump administration, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday.
Christie said on ABC’s “This Week” that Hicks’ decision to resign last week is admirable because it shows she’s putting President Trump and the country before herself.
“She deserves credit and I don’t think she’s getting a lot of it … for saying ‘You know what, this is about the president and about the country,’” Christie said.
Hicks resigned Wednesday, one day after telling the House Intelligence Committee she has to tell “white lies” in order to properly do her job for Trump.
That was the cherry on top of a terrible month for Hicks, who had worked for Trump since the very first days of his presidential campaign and was considered his closest personal aide.
She was caught up in a firestorm over the departure of White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who resigned after accusations of domestic violence were made public by his two ex-wives. Hicks and Porter were dating at the time of the reports and the White House released several glowing statements about Porter after the accusations, and Hicks was charged with letting her personal feelings for Porter influence the crafting of those statements.
Christie said it was clear Hicks had to go, and she did the right thing in stepping aside.
“Hope Hicks saw between the Rob Porter situation and some of the other things that were going on that she was becoming a distraction for the president … and she did the noble thing in my view,” he said.
