US: Sanders exiting White House at month's end

WASHINGTON

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders is leaving her position at the end of the month, President Donald Trump said Thursday.

"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," Trump said on Twitter.

"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!" he added.

Sanders is the second top spokesperson during Trump's administration. She assumed the post after former spokesman Sean Spicer resigned six months after Trump assumed office.

She worked for Trump's 2016 presidential campaign as a senior advisor, and worked in the White House's office of communications before rising to its top spot.

Sanders' tenure has been defined by a winding down of the White House's press conferences, which are now seldom held, and are often impromptu gatherings of reporters on White House grounds. As with other press secretaries, Sanders had an often confrontational relationship with reporters while she staunchly defended the president and his policies.

She was the third woman to hold the role.