Trump’s press secretary to leave White House

Sarah Huckabee Sanders appears regularly on Fox News and other media channels

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is to leave her role as White House press secretary at the end of the month, US president Donald Trump has announced.

“After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas,” he tweeted.

“She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas - she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!”

Ms Sanders, the daughter of former Republican governor of Arkansas, Mick Huckabee, joined the Trump White House after his election, and replaced Sean Spicer as press secretary following his resignation in the summer of 2017.

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She was featured in the Mueller report, when it was revealed that she had admitted to investigators for the Special counsel that she had delivered a false statement from the White House podium, claiming that "countless" FBI officials had said they were happy with Mr Trump's decision to fire former FBI director James Comey.

In recent months the regular White House press briefing has become a rarity, though Ms Sanders regularly appears on Fox News and other media channels.

The Trump administration has experienced a high turnover of staff. Several members of the cabinet have left the White House, including defence secretary Jim Mattis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Suzanne Lynch

Suzanne Lynch

Suzanne Lynch, a former Irish Times journalist, was Washington correspondent and, before that, Europe correspondent