Bill Shine, the former Fox News executive, has resigned as one of President Donald Trump’s top communications advisers after a tenure of eight months.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Shine offered his resignation to Trump on Thursday evening, and Trump accepted. No successor was named.
“Bill continues to support President Trump and his agenda and will serve as senior adviser to the 2020 re-election campaign,” she said.
Shine served as assistant to the president and communications director, only the latest figure to hold that post.
“Serving President Trump and this country has been the most rewarding experience of my entire life,” he said in a statement. “To be a small part of all this President has done for the American people has truly been an honor. I’m looking forward to working on President Trump’s reelection campaign and spending more time with my family.”
Shine started his tenure at the White House on July 5.
There had been speculation over Shine’s future in a position that has seen excessive turnover. Since Trump took office, the role has been filled by Sean Spicer, Mike Dubke, Anthony Scaramucci and Hope Hicks. The New York Times reported in January that Trump has openly expressed skepticism about his role, in which he advised the president on such things as optics and messaging. Trump’s attention to his own press coverage is like no other recent occupant of the White House, and he’s said to bristle at the idea that he’s being stage managed.
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In a statement, Trump said, “Bill Shine has done an outstanding job working for me and the Administration. We will miss him in the White House, but look forward to working together on the 2020 Presidential Campaign, where he will be totally involved. Thank you to Bill and his wonderful family!”
Shine had previously been co-president of Fox News Channel, where he spent years as a top producer and manager. He resigned from the 21st Century Fox-owned cable-news outlet as it was grappling with several lawsuits alleging gender and racial discrimination.
Shine enjoyed a close relationship with Fox News primetime host Sean Hannity and his presence near the Oval Office has widely been seen as helping forge stronger ties between the network and Trump. The Fox News-White House nexus was chronicled this week in The New Yorker, in which writer Jane Mayer wrote of the tight connections between Trump and personalities like Sean Hannity and Fox Business host Lou Dobbs.
Trump has hired other Fox News alums for major roles in his administration. Heather Nauert, formerly on “Fox & Friends,” serves as spokesperson at the State Department, while figures like National Security Adviser John Bolton and White House Director of Strategic Communications have been contributors on the channel.
Sanders said that Shine “has brought a tremendous amount of talent and expertise to the administration.”
“It is a big loss for the White House, but a huge gain for the President’s reelection campaign,” she said in a statement.