Trump aide Jason Miller backs out of White House job

by Harper Neidig - 12/24/16 6:01 PM ET

Jason Miller, an aide to President-elect Donald Trump who was named this week as incoming White House communications director, confirmed to The Hill on Saturday that he would not be taking the job.

Miller, who is expecting a child with his wife next month, said he was turning down the job in order to spend more time with his family.

“After spending this week with my family, the most amount of time I have been able to spend with them since March 2015, it is clear they need to be my top priority right now and this is not the right time to start a new job as demanding as White House Communications Director,” Miller said in a statement.

{mosads}

“My wife and I are also excited about the arrival of our second daughter in January, and I need to put them in front of my career.”

Miller said he would stay on through the transition and that Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, would take over his responsibilities as communications director.

The transition team announced Spicer and Miller’s White House appointments on Thursday, with Trump aides Hope Hicks and Dan Scavino also named to top communications posts.

Miller served as Trump’s senior communications adviser during the general election and throughout the transition. Prior to that, he was an adviser for Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) presidential campaign.