Stephanie Grisham Out as White House Press Secretary

By Rebecca Rubin

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Stephanie Grisham is leaving her post as White House Press Secretary, a gig she took over from from Sarah Huckabee Sanders in July 2019.

Grisham will return to the East Wing to serve as first lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff and spokesperson. Grisham begins her new role immediately and is taking over from Lindsay Reynolds, who resigned this week to spend time with family.

The move comes as President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff Mark Meadows overhauls the West Wing’s communications team.

Though she held the role for about a year, Grisham departs her position without ever having traditionally briefed the press. That was a shakeup from her predecessors, Sanders and Sean Spicer, who held daily briefings with the commander in chief.

“I am excited to welcome Stephanie back to the team in this new role,” Melania Trump said in a statement . “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.”

“I continue to be honored to serve both the President and First Lady in the Administration,” Grisham said. “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.”

Before becoming Press Secretary, Grisham handled communications for Melania Trump. She also served as a press aide during Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. After he took office, Grisham became the deputy press secretary in the West Wing while Spicer was in charge of press communications.