Trump’s personal assistant resigns
President Trump’s personal assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, has resigned, a source confirmed to The Hill.
The New York Times first reported that Westerhout, who has served as Trump’s assistant since the first day of his administration, resigned Thursday, citing two people familiar with her departure.
According to the Times, Westerhout’s resignation came after Trump reportedly learned that she had shared information on a recent working vacation about his family and Oval Office matters she was part of during an off-the-record dinner with reporters at hotels near the president’s Bedminster, N.J., resort.{mosads}
The Times reported that Westerhout was immediately labeled a “separated employee” and would not be allowed to return to the White House on Friday after Trump reportedly learned of her alleged conversation with journalists.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Westerhout did not immediately respond to the Times’s request for comment.
Trump has fumed over the extensive leaks that have marked his tenure and has sought to crack down on unauthorized disclosures from the White House.
As a special assistant to the president, Westerhout was a gatekeeper to the Oval Office. She oversaw the president’s schedule and had intimate knowledge of who interacted with Trump.
A former Republican National Committee aide, Westerhout was featured prominently in one scene of the recent book “American Carnage.” Author Tim Alberta reported that Westerhout was “inconsolable” and crying on election night 2016 at the prospect of Trump winning.
Westerhout’s Twitter account still displayed her White House job as of Friday morning, and her profile image is a picture of her with the president, who is flashing a thumbs up.
Updated Aug. 30 at 9:02 a.m.
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