US President Donald Trump has made the surprise announcement of the departure of spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, who has been widely criticised for her performance in the White House.
Mr Trump announced her exit in a tweet and did not name a replacement.
"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," he said, adding that he hoped she would run for governor of her state.
Mrs Sanders has been one of Mr Trump's most loyal foot soldiers, almost constantly at his side during his tumultuous two-and-a-half years at the White House and during the campaign before.
....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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 13, 2019
At a White House event on reintegration into society for ex-prisoners, Mr Trump interrupted proceedings to summon the "warrior" Sanders from the audience and lavish praise on her record.
Calling her "a friend, a woman, a great, great magnificent person," Mr Trump said, "she's very popular."
However, she has a combative, sometimes bitter relationship with the White House press corps.
She is seen as responsible for the demise of the formal daily briefing, which was practically an institution under previous presidents.
The last time she took to the podium for a back-and-forth with reporters in the White House briefing room was 11 March.
Instead, she communicates largely through interviews on the president's favourite TV network Fox News and short, informal briefings with other journalists outdoors.
She has also been accused of telling lies to reporters, although she denies this.
Despite Mrs Sanders' damaged reputation in media circles, there had been no hint from the administration that her exit was imminent.
Mrs Sanders' father Mike Huckabee is a former Republican governor of Arkansas.
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Called up to the microphone by Mr Trump at the ex-prisoners' event, Mrs Sanders said she would "try not to get emotional, because I know crying can make us look weak."
In a brief address, the spokeswoman praised Mr Trump and her colleagues at the White House, saying she "loved every minute" of the job.
"I'm going to continue to be one of the most outspoken and loyal supporters of the president and his agenda and I know he's going to have an incredible six more years and get a lot more done," she said.
She made no mention of the media or the role of journalists at the White House.
Meanwhile, a US watchdog agency has recommended that White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway be fired, saying the close aide to President Trump repeatedly violated a law restricting political activity during her official work.
The White House swiftly responded by calling the process "blatantly unfair" and demanding the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) retract its "outrageous" recommendation.
In the finding sent to the president, the OSC said Ms Conway has engaged in a pattern of unacceptable conduct.
These included sniping at 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, that likely would have led to the removal of virtually any other federal employee.
It said that in multiple media interviews and through social media postings beginning early this year, the 52-year-old, acting as a White House spokesperson, engaged in partisan attacks on Democratic presidential hopefuls including US senators Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, and former congressman Beto O'Rourke.
"Ms Conway's advocacy against the Democratic candidates and open endorsement of the president's reelection effort during both official media appearances and on her Twitter account constitute prohibited political activity under the Hatch Act," the report stated.
The Hatch Act bars civilian federal employees from using their official authority to wade into election politics.
"Ms Conway continues to violate the Hatch Act and signals that she will not comply with the law," according to the report.
The White House fired back at the OSC, saying it did not give Ms Conway sufficient time to respond, and that the Hatch Act should not apply to senior White House figures.
