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She's in Immense Personal Jeopardy: Even for Hope Hicks, the West Wing Got Too Hot
“Emotionally overwhelmed” by the headlines over Rob Porter, manipulated by Kelly, interviewed by Mueller and Congress, the president’s surrogate daughter is leaving the Trump bunker at one of his toughest moments.Source: Vanity Fair
On the list of ways Donald Trump’s presidency has no historical precedent, staff turnover ranks at the top. The churn rate in the Trump White House is more than double that of previous administrations, according to one analysis. (It’s triple that of the Obama White House.) Since the inauguration, nearly two dozen senior officials have quit or been pushed out. But even for a White House roiled by firings and resignations, the announcement that Hope Hicks was quitting was of a different magnitude, reaching into Trump’s own bunker in a way no other event has to this point.
The 29-year-old Hicks serves as communications director, but her role and power in the West Wing and in the president’s daily life is vastly more significant than any formal title. She’s been a constant presence at Trump’s side from the inception of his presidential run in 2015, serving as a gatekeeper and emotional support system for the temperamental chief executive. She defends Trump fiercely, and Trump returns the loyalty. Staffers remark that Trump treats Hicks—“Hope-y” as he calls her—like a surrogate daughter. Her centrality was such that it was hard to imagine Trump functioning without her.
But in recent weeks, Hicks became disillusioned with her job, people who’ve spoken with her told me. Her closeness to Trump meant she was also nearest to the hottest flames of the fires that have burned in the West Wing, the most intense being the Russia probe. Hicks has racked up substantial legal fees, one source told me. “She’s in immense personal jeopardy,” one Republican close to the White House said yesterday. “This is a sign the Mueller investigation is a lot more serious than any one of us thought.” (Hicks and the White House declined to comment.)
The tipping point for Hicks was more personal, sources said. She was “emotionally overwhelmed” by seeing herself in the headlines during her boyfriend Rob Porter’s domestic abuse scandal, one Hicks friend told me. Hicks expressed disbelief at the allegations that Porter beat his ex-wives. According to the friend, her parents rushed to Washington to support her in the days after the Daily Mail broke the story and encouraged her to break up with Porter. She’s recently told people she’s no longer dating Porter.
The 29-year-old Hicks serves as communications director, but her role and power in the West Wing and in the president’s daily life is vastly more significant than any formal title. She’s been a constant presence at Trump’s side from the inception of his presidential run in 2015, serving as a gatekeeper and emotional support system for the temperamental chief executive. She defends Trump fiercely, and Trump returns the loyalty. Staffers remark that Trump treats Hicks—“Hope-y” as he calls her—like a surrogate daughter. Her centrality was such that it was hard to imagine Trump functioning without her.
But in recent weeks, Hicks became disillusioned with her job, people who’ve spoken with her told me. Her closeness to Trump meant she was also nearest to the hottest flames of the fires that have burned in the West Wing, the most intense being the Russia probe. Hicks has racked up substantial legal fees, one source told me. “She’s in immense personal jeopardy,” one Republican close to the White House said yesterday. “This is a sign the Mueller investigation is a lot more serious than any one of us thought.” (Hicks and the White House declined to comment.)
The tipping point for Hicks was more personal, sources said. She was “emotionally overwhelmed” by seeing herself in the headlines during her boyfriend Rob Porter’s domestic abuse scandal, one Hicks friend told me. Hicks expressed disbelief at the allegations that Porter beat his ex-wives. According to the friend, her parents rushed to Washington to support her in the days after the Daily Mail broke the story and encouraged her to break up with Porter. She’s recently told people she’s no longer dating Porter.
Read more: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/03/even-for-hope-hicks-the-west-wing-got-too-hot?mbid=social_twitter
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