Stephanie Grisham is departing her role as White House press secretary.
Grisham, who never held a news conference in the press secretary role, will return to the East Wing as chief of staff and spokeswoman for first lady Melania Trump.
“I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the team in this new role,” Trump said in a statement Tuesday. “She has been a mainstay and true leader in the Administration from even before day one, and I know she will excel as Chief of Staff. I appreciate all that Lindsay Reynolds did over the past three years, and wish her well in her future endeavors.”
Lindsay Reynolds, the first lady’s previous chief of staff, resigned earlier this week to spend more time with her family, Trump said.
“I continue to be honored to serve both the President and First Lady in the Administration,” Grisham said in a statement. “My replacements will be announced in the coming days and I will stay in the West Wing to help with a smooth transition for as long as needed.”
Kayleigh McEnany, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, will replace her, according to the New York Times. President Trump’s new chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had also been considering Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah as Grisham’s replacement.
Grisham has not regularly attended senior staff meetings in recent weeks and has not played a major role in the administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to CNN.
Grisham has been with Trump since his 2016 campaign when she wrangled the press. She followed Trump to the White House and became a deputy press secretary under Sean Spicer, who was the president’s first White House spokesman before becoming the first lady’s communications director.
Grisham stepped into the press secretary and communications director roles last summer after Sarah Sanders left the White House. Grisham continued serving as the first lady’s communications director.
