WASHINGTON — An aide and gatekeeper to President Trump resigned from the White House staff on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.
Madeleine Westerhout, whose formal title was special assistant to the president and director of Oval Office operations, had worked for Trump since the transition.
The president learned she’d shared details about his family and the White House during an off-the-record discussion with reporters, and the episode was part of what led to her sudden exit, the people said. The New York Times reported the news earlier Thursday.
Madeleine Westerhout, who left her White House job suddenly on Thursday as President Trump’s personal assistant, was fired after bragging to reporters that she had a better relationship with Trump than his own daughters, among other comments https://t.co/y3mUl4zJ0M
— POLITICO (@politico) August 30, 2019
The White House did not immediately comment on the departure late Thursday, and Westerhout did not immediately reply to a request for comment. According to the people familiar with the matter, Trump was upset that his aides hadn’t told him sooner that Westerhout had spoken to reporters at an off-the-record gathering.
Earlier Thursday, Trump canceled a weekend trip to Poland because Hurricane Dorian is poised to strike Florida. He said that he wanted “to ensure that all resources of the federal government are focused on the coming storm.”
Madeleine Westerhout was on vacation when she abruptly got pushed out of the gatekeeper role she's occupied for two years Thursday night. Now her phone has been disconnected, and her colleagues are still piecing together the details. W/ @betsy_klein https://t.co/2mSYIJsJNV
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 30, 2019
Trump will head to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday, the White House said.
