White House adviser Hope Hicks resigns day after testifying. Source: MSNBC
It is fast becoming the White House role that no one wants.
The shock resignation of White House communications director Hope Hicks means US President Donald Trump has to fill the position for the fifth time in just over a year.
Hicks told colleagues she felt she had accomplished everything she could in the role, and wished the President "the very best as he continues to lead our country".
News of Hicks' impending exit comes just one day after she was questioned behind closed doors for a gruelling nine hours by the House Intelligence Committee.
While the timing of her resignation is suspicious, being so close to her testimony, New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman said Hicks had been thinking about leaving for months.
Hicks was appointed to the role last September having filled in as interim communications director.
It remains unclear when the woman, who many credit with being in charge of who gets to interview the President, will officially leave the post.
Hicks' replacement has not yet been announced but given how long previous directors have lasted it remains to be seen how long the next one will stay.
Hicks replaced the ever controversial Anthony Scaramucci, who was sacked in July after just 11 days in the job. Before him Sean Spicer and Mike Dubke both had stints in the role.
Lowy Institute non-resident fellow Professor James Curran said most administrations will suffer their fair share of churn in the first 18 months.
However the University of Sydney history professor said Hicks' "departure will do little to alter the widespread perception of a Trump White House struggling to overcome a pattern of chaos and dysfunction".
Hope Hicks Josh Raffel Rob Porter Omarosa Manigault Newman Tom Price Sebastian Gorka Steve Bannon Anthony Scaramucci Reince Priebus Sean Spicer Preet Bharara James Comey Michael Flynn Sally Yates Craig Deare Angella Reid Mike Dubke Patrick F. Kennedy https://t.co/ShaBzkElcBpic.twitter.com/q75G4qpoV3
Here are some of the other Communications Directors who took up the post but soon left:
Anthony Scaramucci
Anthony Scaramucci held the position for just 11 days. Photo / AP
Perhaps the most colourful and certainly most outspoken, Anthony Scaramucci caused waves and not only for his brash approach with the media.
Scaramucci was largely blamed for igniting an "all-out civil war" inside the West Wing during his short stint and waged a crusade against leaders while publicly unleashing on his colleagues.
However it was an expletive-filled rant which appeared to be his final downfall.
During a phone call with The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza, he threatened to go on a firing spree and "f***ing kill all the leakers".
"Reince is a f***ing paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac," he said, referring to the chief of staff Reince Priebus.
"I'm not Steve Bannon, I'm not trying to suck my own c**k," he added, taking aim at Trump's senior political strategist.
His vulgar interview did not go down well with then incoming chief of staff John Kelly who saw removing Scaramucci as crucial in his effort to change the culture of the White House.
Sean Spicer
Another colourful figure, Spicer was an outspoken critic of the media and called out supposed fake news.
However, his tenure was marked by controversy including the claim that Trump had the biggest inauguration figures ever.
Following Trump's inauguration last January, Spicer launched an unprecedented assault on the media, accusing reporters of downplaying the turnout at his inauguration.
"This was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration, period" Spicer said.
He tried to claim photos comparing Trump and Barack Obama's floor inauguration crowds looked different due to floor coverings.
Another colourful figure, Spicer was an outspoken critic of the media and called out supposed fake news. Photo / AP
"Photographs of the inaugural proceedings were intentionally framed in a way, one particular tweet minimised the enormous support that had gathered on the National Mall," he said.
"This was the first time in our nation's history that floor coverings were used to protect the grass. That had the effect of highlighting areas where people are not standing, while in years past, the grass eliminated this visual."
An estimated 1.8 million people attended Obama's inauguration in 2009.
Washington authorities predicted 800,000 to 900,000 would attend Trump's inauguration.
The New York Times estimated the crowd on the National Mall was about one-third the size of Obama's.
However it was his Hitler comparison that raised eyebrows.
During an April interview Spicer attempted to answer a question on a chemical attack in Syria when he made a strange comparison to the German dictator.
"You had someone as despicable as Hitler … who didn't even sink to using chemical weapons," he said.
The comments sparked a huge backlash and an apology from Spicer.
The embattled press secretary resigned in July after Scaramucci was appointed to the top job and reportedly told the president that he believed the appointment was a big mistake.
Michael Dubke
Michael Dubke was Trump's first official Communications Director. Photo / AP
High-profile and experienced Republican party strategist stepped down from the role in late May amid a major shake-up in the administration.
Dubke was in the role for three months.
US media reported there was internal discontent among the Trump camp that Dubke had won the top job.
Some felt a veteran from the campaign trail would have been better suited to the high-pressure role.
Jason Miller
Jason Miller was Trump's first pick for the top job. Photo / AP
Originally Trump's first choice to be Communications Director, the veteran Republican media consultant quite before the President's inauguration took place.
