Madeleine Westerhout, who left her White House job suddenly on Thursday as President Trump’s personal assistant, was fired after bragging to reporters that she had a better relationship with Trump than his own daughters, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, and that the president did not like being in pictures with Tiffany because he perceived her as overweight.
Trump on Friday confirmed that Westerhout had been dismissed for talking to reporters about his children, calling the comments “a little bit hurtful.”
President Donald Trump commented Friday on the abrupt resignation:
When reporters asked whether he had fired her as he left Friday evening for Camp David in Maryland, Trump replied, “I think it was automatic. I don’t say fire or not fire. I think she had a bad night. I think it was unfortunate. She said she was drinking. The whole thing was very unfortunate. I think the press is very dishonest because it’s supposed to be off the record. But still, you don’t say things like she said, which were just a little bit hurtful.”
On Saturday morning, the president tweeted that Westerhout has a “fully enforceable confidentiality agreement.”
“she is a very good person and I don’t think there would ever be reason to use it,” the tweet read.
The tweet also said Westerhout called Trump to “apologize.”
While Madeleine Westerhout has a fully enforceable confidentiality agreement, she is a very good person and I don’t think there would ever be reason to use it. She called me yesterday to apologize, had a bad night. I fully understood and forgave her! I love Tiffany, doing great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 31, 2019
Westerhout tweeted her gratitude to the president Saturday morning.
Westerhout shared private details about the Trump family that could be embarrassing to the president. When the details got back to the president, Westerhout was soon out of a job on Thursday, they said.
A senior official said Westerhout was not allowed to return to the White House on Friday following her sudden departure.
In her role, Westerhout was one of the principal so-called gatekeepers controlling access to the president and sat just outside the Oval Office.
