Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 1 March 2018
White House Communications Director Hope Hicks resigning
By ZEKE MILLER and Russia.
JILL COLVIN In a statement, Trump
Associated Press praised Hicks for her work
WASHINGTON (AP) — over the last three years,
White House Communica- saying he “will miss having
tions Director Hope Hicks, her by my side.”
one of President Donald Hicks, who occupied the
Trump’s closest and most desk closest to the Oval Of-
loyal aides, is resigning. fice in the West Wing, has
The departure of one of the been a central participant
president’s longest-serving in or witness to nearly every
advisers, who worked as a milestone and controversy
one-woman communica- of the Trump campaign
tions shop during his win- and White House. She be-
ning campaign, came as gan her White House ten-
a surprise to most in the ure as director of strategic
White House — and cast communications — a title
a pall over the West Wing that only partly captured
at a tumultuous time. The her more expansive role as
news comes a day after the president’s gatekeeper
Hicks was interviewed for to the press. Hicks acknowl-
nine hours by the House edged to a House intelli-
panel investigating Russia gence panel Tuesday that White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, one of President Trump’s closest aides and
interference in the 2016 she has occasionally told
election and contact be- “white lies” for Trump. But
tween Trump’s campaign she said she had not lied
advisers, arrives to meet behind closed doors with the House Intelligence Committee, at the
Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018. Hicks, one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal
aides, is resigning.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
about anything relevant parture leaves a vacuum
to the Russia investigation. in the White House com-
She has also been inter- munications team, and in
viewed by special coun- the president’s collection
sel Robert Mueller’s team of trusted aides. The an-
about her role in crafting nouncement came a day
a statement about Don- after a similar announce-
ald Trump Jr.’s 2016 meet- ment about the impending
ing with Russians, as Muel- departure of deputy com-
ler’s expansive probe of munications director Josh
Russian interference in the Raffel, and just a few days
2016 election and poten- after senior adviser Jared
tial misdeeds committed Kushner saw his security
by those in the president’s clearance downgraded —
orbit moves ever closer to limiting his access to classi-
the Oval Office. Hicks’ de- fied information.q
Trump: California wall will not
happen until ‘whole wall’ OK’d
By JILL COLVIN arguments. Trump hailed
ELLIOT SPAGAT the ruling as a “big victory.”
Associated Press The White House did not
WASHINGTON (AP) — immediately answer ques-
President Donald Trump tions about the tweet. The
threatened Wednesday Department of Homeland
to prevent construction of Security referred questions
a border wall with Mexico to the White House.
in California that the state Trump has been increas-
sued to stop. ingly annoyed at Califor-
In a puzzling early-morning nia, castigating the state
tweet, Trump said he “de- for limiting its cooperation
cided that sections of the with federal immigration
Wall that California wants authorities. Last week, he
built NOW will not be built threatened to pull the U.S.
until the whole Wall is ap- Immigration and Customs
proved.” Enforcement agency out
And Gonzalo Curiel, the of the state in reprisal — an
federal judge who was idea so unlikely that some
taunted by Trump during of Trump’s staunchest crit-
the 2016 campaign for his ics dismissed it as bluster
Mexican heritage, sided amid escalating tensions
with the president on Tues- with the state over its immi-
day in rejecting California’s gration policies. q