Sarah Huckabee Sanders leaves the White House at the end of the month, says Trump



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White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders will step down at the end of the month, President Donald Trump announced Thursday.

In a pair of tweets, the president said Sanders will return to his original state, Arkansas. He thanked her for what he called a "job well done".

"I hope she decides to run for the Governor of Arkansas – she would be fantastic!" Trump tweeted. He did not immediately announce who would replace her.

Sanders was part of the Trump 2016 campaign communications team. She was an assistant press secretary when Trump took office before succeeding Sean Spicer as a press officer in July 2017.

Sanders had an often conflictual relationship with the press.

Sarah Sanders, White House press secretary, addresses the media at a briefing in Brady's briefing room at the White House on October 29, 2018 in Washington, DC.

Mark Wilson | Getty Images

The press officer was criticized for giving answers from the White House podium, which were misleading or contradicted the president's public comments. In a notable episode, she claimed after the dismissal of former FBI director, James Comey, that "countless" bureau officers had lost confidence in him. The report of the special advocate Robert Mueller on his investigation of Russia published in May contradicts his claims.

This year, the press officer has largely disappeared from the traditional role of the post as a public face of the administration. It held its last press briefing on March 11, 94 days ago.

Sanders' departure continues a tumultuous run for a White House communications store that has a tough job controlling the message of a freewheeling president. The White House currently has no director of communication. Five people held this position in nearly two and a half years under Trump's presidency – most recently former Fox News executive Bill Shine.

Sanders did not immediately return CNBC's request for comment.

– Kevin Breuninger of CNBC contributed to this reportA flawless stay

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