Grisham Out as Press Chief, and Her Successor Is Named

Stephanie Grisham is leaving her post as White House press secretary as part of a West Wing communications shake-up, report Politico and CNN. Replacing her will be Trump campaign spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany, reports the New York Times. Grisham will become first lady Melania Trump's chief of staff, per CNN, and it's not an unfamiliar role: She worked closely with the first lady before succeeding Sarah Sanders as press chief last year. Grisham didn't hold a single press conference during her nine-month tenure as press chief, continuing a practice begun by Sanders. It wasn't immediately clear if McEnany would resurrect the briefings.

The Times describes McEnany "as a vocal defender of Mr. Trump on television, the main role the president has long believed the press secretary should play." The move isn't a huge surprise: Axios reported last week that new White House chief of staff Mark Meadows was strongly considering the move. CNN notes that Grisham has played an increasingly small role in West Wing communications of late, in part because she had to go into quarantine after coming into contact with a Brazilian official who tested positive for the coronavirus. Grisham herself tested negative. Meanwhile, VP Mike Pence's communication team has taken a lead role amid the outbreak because he's head of the White House task force. (More Stephanie Grisham stories.)