SMU Wunderkind Tapped as White House Communications Director: Everything You Need to Know About Hope Hicks
BY Natalie Gempel // 08.16.17SMU's own Hope Hicks has emerged as the voice of Donald Trump's administration.
Hope Hicks, President Donald Trump’s longtime aide and a graduate of Southern Methodist University, was named interim White House director of communications on Wednesday. The 28-year-old is expected to temporarily fill the role which was left vacant after Anthony Scaramucci was fired at the end of July.
Hicks joined the Trump administration as White House director of strategic communications. Now, she holds the administration’s highest communications office. She holds power over what members of the press get interviews with the president and helps shape his messaging.
Her new responsibilities as interim director of communications will be in addition to those as director of strategic communications. According to the New York Times via a senior administration official, Hicks will help Trump find a more permanent person for the job.
As director of strategic communications, a newly created role, Hicks boasts the top White House salary of $179,700. She had already made Forbes 30 Under 30 list — and her influence is growing.
Hicks served as press secretary during Trump’s campaign, and has long been a crucial part of his communications team.
The Hicks File
The 2016 presidential campaign was Hicks’ first endeavor in politics. She became an important advisor to the Trump family during her time working at public relations firm Hiltzik Strategies, first working for Ivanka Trump’s fashion line, and later moving into other Trump ventures.
Hicks has remained close to the family including President Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner.
A native of Greenwich, Connecticut, Hicks graduated from SMU in 2010. She played lacrosse throughout all four years of college, in the club lacrosse program which she helped start.
Other interesting facts about the young White House official?
She took dictation for Trump’s tweets during his campaign. However, Hope Hicks herself has maintained an incredibly low-profile, spurring the creation of a parody account (which has now been suspended) @HicksNoComment.
She signed a contract with Ford Models at a young age, starring in a Ralph Lauren campaign with her sister at age 11, gracing the cover of a Gossip Girl novel as a teenager, and appearing on the cover of Greenwich Magazine.
Hicks apparently foreshadowed her future in an interview with the publication, saying, “If the acting thing doesn’t work out, I could really see myself in politics. Who knows?”