Coronavirus: Donald Trump shakes up press team as White House grapples with outbreak
- Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham out without holding single formal media briefing
- She will be replaced by top Trump campaign spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany
US President Donald Trump shook up his communications team on Tuesday, replacing his press secretary and adding new staff members as he grapples with the coronavirus pandemic.
Stephanie Grisham, who had held the titles of press secretary and White House communications director since last June, is out after never holding a formal press briefing. She will be rejoining the first lady’s office in a new role as Melania Trump’s chief of staff.
Kayleigh McEnany, a top Trump campaign spokeswoman, will take over as Trump’s fourth press secretary. Also returning to the White House: Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah.
She will lead strategic communications, according to a senior administration official familiar with the moves who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decisions had not been formally announced.
The shake-up comes as the president is facing the biggest crisis of his administration, with the coronavirus spreading across the country. The virus has killed more than 12,000 people in the US and fundamentally transformed American life while plunging the economy into what is expected to be a major recession.