Trump Homeland Security spokeswoman out amid immigration crackdown backlash
US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin will leave the administration, an agency spokesperson said, a move that comes as public support for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has dwindled. McLaughlin became a prominent booster of the Republican president’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement and headed the press operation at DHS, which has come…
US Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin will leave the administration, an agency spokesperson said, a move that comes as public support for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has dwindled.
McLaughlin became a prominent booster of the Republican president’s aggressive approach to immigration enforcement and headed the press operation at DHS, which has come under scrutiny for issuing inaccurate or incomplete statements following violent encounters involving federal immigration officers.
Conservative commentator Katie Zacharia will join DHS as a spokesperson, two Trump administration officials told Reuters, requesting anonymity to discuss the move.
Zacharia did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Lauren Bis, currently a deputy in the DHS public affairs division, was expected to take the top role in the department, the officials said.
McLaughlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A department spokesperson said her departure had been planned since December.
Outcry after ICE killing of another US citizen
Outcry after ICE killing of another US citizen
Public support for Trump’s immigration enforcement push dropped to the lowest level of his presidency in January after months of clashes in US cities and after federal immigration officers shot and killed two US citizens in Minneapolis.
