A top White House communications staffer has resigned as US President Donald Trump considers a major staff overhaul.
The departure of Michael Dubke, Trump’s communications director, comes as aides say Trump has grown increasingly frustrated by allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 election and revelations of possible ties between his campaign and Moscow.
Trump tweeted Tuesday: “Russian officials must be laughing at the US & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News.”
Dubke wrote in a statement that it had been an honour to serve Trump and “my distinct pleasure to work side-by-side, day-by-day with the staff of the communications and press departments.”
Dubke’s last day has not yet been determined. A Republican consultant, Dubke joined the White House team in February after campaign aide Jason Miller, Trump’s original choice for communications director, withdrew from consideration. Dubke founded Crossroads Media, a GOP firm that specialises in political advertising. Dubke is the latest White House staffer to leave this administration as scrutiny intensifies over contacts Trump staffers may have had with Russian government officials during the campaign and transition period. White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway said on Tuesday that Dubke resigned before Trump left for his international trip earlier this month, suggesting that his departure is not linked to any pending shake-ups.Russian officials must be laughing at the U.S. & how a lame excuse for why the Dems lost the election has taken over the Fake News.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2017
CBS News has confirmed a shake-up in the WH communications team: Communications Director Michael Dubke is out https://t.co/dCI5lfXL78 pic.twitter.com/ILwLsi2LX2— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 30, 2017
But his departure raises questions about whether previous Trump loyalists are headed to the White House. Trump has entertained formally bringing back his former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, and former deputy campaign manager, David Bossie.
Bossie told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” that the Trump administration has reached out to him but hasn’t offered him a job yet.
“They have talked to many people, including me,” Bossie said. He later added: “It’s an ongoing conversation and that’s a fair way to put it.”
In an interview on Fox News on Tuesday, Conway said Dubke “made very clear that he would see through the president’s international trip, and come to work every day and work hard even through that trip because there was much to do here back at the White House.”
The latest revelations to emerge last week involved Trump’s son-in-law and top aide, Jared Kushner. Shortly after the election, Kushner allegedly discussed setting up a secret communications channel with the Russian government to facilitate sensitive discussions about the conflict in Syria.
