Bill Shine, the former Fox News executive who joined the White House as President Trump’s top communications adviser, has resigned abruptly, the White House announced Friday.

Shine, who served as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff for communications, offered his resignation to Trump on Thursday evening, and the president accepted it, according to a statement from White House press secretary Sarah Sanders. Shine plans to continue in the Trump orbit as a senior adviser to the president’s 2020 reelection campaign.

“Serving President Trump and this country has been the most rewarding experience of my entire life,” Shine 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.”

A former president of Fox News and protege of the late Roger Ailes, Shine, 55, was recruited to the White House in the summer by Trump to help buff the president’s public image and direct his communications strategy. He served eight months.

In recent months, however, Trump has complained about his media coverage and blamed Shine in part for not making it more positive, according to current and former administration officials.

The two men had a number of disagreements in recent weeks, said aides, who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Shine, for instance, did not accompany the president on his trip last week to Vietnam for a high-stakes summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

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Trump praised Shine in a statement issued Friday.

“Bill Shine has done an outstanding job working for me and the Administration,” Trump said. “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!”

Sanders announced Shine’s resignation just as the president touched down in Georgia and before he boarded Marine One for an ariel tour of tornado damage in neighboring Alabama.

The president did not respond to questions shouted by reporters traveling with him Friday.

In a statement, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney praised Shine: “Bill has been an asset of invaluable importance to this West Wing. I have enjoyed working with him and witnessing firsthand his unmatched talent, expertise and, and skills. I am grateful that he will continue to be an important member of team trump. I look forward to all of his future contributions.”

Sanders also complimented her colleague.

“Bill Shine has been a great leader on our team and someone we have all loved working with every day,” she said in a statement. “He has brought a tremendous amount of talent and expertise to the Administration. Bill has become a real friend and his generosity and his passion for our country will be sorely missed. It is a big loss for the White House, but a huge gain for the President’s reelection campaign.”


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