White House press officer to take job as spokesman for Trump campaign

White House Assistant Secretary of the Press Hogan Gidley to Move to President TrumpDonald John Trump South Korea criticizes Bolton’s book as ‘distorting reality’ of nuclear talks Democrats face tough questions with Bolton protesters trying to tear down Andrew Jackson statue near White House MOREIn the reelection campaign, where he will serve as the main spokesman, people familiar with the matter confirmed Tuesday.

Gidley, who has worked in the White House press store since 2017, will take over as the national press secretary for the Trump campaign. That role was previously filled by Kayleigh McEnany, who is now the White House press secretary.

“Hogan Gidley has been with the President for three years and is now joining the fight to re-elect him,” campaign manager Brad ParscaleBradley (Brad) James ParscaleMORE he said in a statement. “He is a talented advocate and defender of the president and his policies and is never afraid to go into battle with hostile reporters and television presenters. Hogan is a great addition to the team and makes us even stronger. “

Trump had hinted at the move during a dispute with reporters at the White House Tuesday morning when asked if he planned any changes to his campaign after his disappointing rally in Tulsa, Okla.

The president tweeted Tuesday afternoon that Gidley would leave the White House on July 1 and praised him as a “strong, loyal and trustworthy member of the team.”

“Hogan is a talented and trustworthy member of the White House team and has done an exceptional job communicating President Trump’s many accomplishments,” said the White House senior adviser. Jared KushnerJared Corey KushnerHarris’s path to landmine-ridden police reform Former Senator Kaufman to lead Biden’s transition team Bolton’s book shows evil rules at Trump’s White House MORE he said in a statement.

“His two decades of previous campaign experience combined with his deep knowledge of the Administration make him an invaluable addition,” added Kushner, who is closely involved in running the campaign.

Gidley has been a prominent television presence for the Trump White House, particularly after the departure of the former press secretary. Sarah HuckabeeSarah Elizabeth Sanders McEnany stamps her mark on the White House press operation Sanders mocks the NY Times urging DNC to investigate Biden’s allegations: “I thought it was an onion headline” Donald Trump: Boomer TV President MORE Sanders a year ago. He is among the longest-serving officials in the White House press store.

Gidley previously worked for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (R) and in former Senator Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) ‘S 2012 presidential campaign.

His change to the campaign side marks the latest staff change as the Trump campaign grows in ranks for the final months of the 2020 campaign.

The campaign earlier this month elevated Bill Stepien to deputy press secretary and hired Jason Miller, who played a communication role in 2016, to work on the 2020 career strategy. Erin Perrine will move from deputy communications director to chief press release as part of Gidley’s arrival, the campaign said.

Speculation about new personnel changes intensified after the Trump campaign in Oklahoma over the weekend. Several Trump campaign employees tested positive for coronavirus while in Tulsa, and the venue was less than half the president’s speech after officials touted that more than 1 million people had applied for tickets.

The finger has been pointed, and much of the scrutiny falls on Parscale. Still, officials cautioned that major personnel changes at the top of the campaign were not expected to be imminent.