US first lady's spokeswoman to be new press sec
June 25, 2019
Stephanie Grisham, a longtime spokeswoman for Melania Trump, will become the next White House press secretary, the first lady announced on Tuesday.
Grisham has been working with US President Donald Trump since he launched his campaign in 2015 and is one of the few campaign officials who is still working at the White House.
Melania Trump tweeted that she and her husband "could think of no better person to serve the administration and our country."
Alongside her job as White House press secretary, Grisham will also take on the strategic role as White House communications director and continue to serve as Melania Trump's spokeswoman — a total of three top communications jobs.
Grisham will replace Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is leaving the job as the White House's top spokesperson at the end of the month after serving in the post since July 2017.
Confrontational relationship
Although the president praised her for doing an "outstanding job," Sanders was known for her confrontational relationship with the White House press corps.
She was frequently criticized for giving journalists misleading answers and for holding fewer briefings, which used to be daily occurrences under previous administrations.
Trump's first White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, resigned after six months after a turbulent tenure in the job that also saw him spar with reporters.
On Tuesday, Trump seemed to suggest that relations with the press would not be as contentious under Grisham.
"She actually gets along with the media," the president told reporters.
rs/se (AP, dpa)