WATCH: Trump Kisses Hope Goodbye as Hicks Departs From White House
Hope is officially gone.
Ex-White House Communications Director Hope Hicks spent her second to last day in the West Wing saying goodbye to her colleagues, including President Donald Trump — who presented Hicks in front of waiting cameras for what appeared to be a final photo-op.
The pair kissed each other on the cheek, shook hands multiple times, exchanged pleasantries and literally went their separate ways in front of a pool of reporters and photographers capturing the moment. Hicks seemed to say “goodbye” to the president before walking back toward the White House, as Trump walked toward Marine One to depart from for Ohio.
Here are few reactions from Twitter:
Tillerson fired via tweet. Shulkin fired via tweet/John Kelly call. McMaster fired via Trump phone call/tweet. Hope Hicks leaves on her own, with a goodbye wave/handshake with POTUS outside West Wing.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) March 29, 2018
Hope Hicks is expected to return to the White House to tie up loose ends next month so it’s hardly bye forever for Trump. Also he has her phone number lol
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) March 29, 2018
Did he grab her too?
— Scott Collura (@ScottCollura) March 29, 2018
Senior advisers to the president reportedly fear the days to come after Hicks’ departure from the West Wing, with one telling CBS News, “She’s the glue to the entire place … I don’t think people realize what’s about to happen once she leaves.”
It also appears the president may not replace Hicks’s role as communications director, instead further leaning on a network of billionaires and influential figures outside of the White House who he frequently calls for advice on how to lead the country.
Hicks announced she was planning to leave the White House the day after an hours-long testimony she provided to the House Intelligence Committee investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
So long, Hope.
Watch above, via NBC News.
[featured image via screengrab]
