President Donald Trump's personal assistant, Madeleine Westerhout, whose office sits in front of the Oval Office and who has served as the president's gatekeeper since day one of his administration, resigned Thursday, two people familiar with her exit said.
Westerhout's abrupt and unexpected departure came after Trump learned Thursday that she had indiscreetly shared details about his family and the Oval Office operations she was part of during a recent off-the-record dinner with reporters staying at hotels near Bedminster, N.J., during the president's working vacation, according to one of the people, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss White House personnel issues.
The breach of trust meant immediate action: Westerhout, one of the people familiar with her departure said, was immediately considered a "separated employee" and would not be allowed to return to the White House today.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment. Westerhout did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Westerhout was a former Republican National Committee aide who also worked for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, reportedly cried on election night because she was upset over Trump's victory. As such, the president at first viewed her warily, as a late convert to his cause who could not be trusted.
Westerhout's power in the White House came almost entirely from proximity.
But while she was not a decision-maker, she enjoyed unique access to Trump, and often shared snapshots on her private Instagram account of her life in the West Wing.
A Section on 08/30/2019