Customs and Border Protection press secretary exits after two months at job

Katharine Gorka is set to leave her position as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) press secretary two months after accepting the job, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. 

Gorka told the Post that her decision is a personal one driven by a desire to spend more time with her family.

“I’m at my third-year mark in my service to the [Trump] administration. And I felt like the time has come to spend more time with my family,” said Gorka, who previously served as a senior adviser for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “I’ve been really honored to serve both the administration and at CBP.”

{mosads}Gorka’s appointment to the role in June was almost immediately met with backlash over her history of controversial statements about immigration and Islam.

Her husband, Sebastian Gorka, served as an adviser to President Trump before his own sudden departure in 2017.

The two previously wrote for the right-wing website Breitbart News, frequently faulting Islam for violent extremism.

Katharine Gorka did not frequently appear in public in her role at the CBP, leading liberal activist group Democracy Forward to sue DHS to find out “what Gorka is doing” there.

Gorka declined to discuss details about her departure with the Post.

“I think they’ve appreciated my service, and I think people who serve in politically appointed positions understand the challenges,” she said. “It’s a very demanding job.”

The CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.