Hello listeners today is Thursday March 1st 2018 I'm your host Andrew

Rousdusha sitting in for Scott Bland and you are listening to Politico's

Nerdcast. This week Hope Hicks, Donald Trump's fifth communications director and trusted ally has resigned.

Son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner's

interim security clearance has been downgraded, and former Trump campaign

chairman Paul Manafort's trial date has been set for September 17th. We'll discuss

what happened, why it matters, and what's to come.

Before we get started, a reminder. If you like the show and want to support the

nerdcast, subscribe, rate us, and write a review. And we want your feedback and

questions. email us at

nerdcast at politico.com. Now let's welcome White House reporter Nancy

Cook. Thanks for having me. And news editor Emily Stevenson.

Hi. Our first data point is five. Since December 2016 President Trump has gone through five

communications directors Hope Hicks is the latest one to exit

1,600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Nancy, what's going on over there?

Oh, so much Oh so much so much it's been a crazy week.

Ho Pix announced that she was resigning on Tuesday or yesterday Wednesday and that really sent a huge shockwave through Washington.

She is the president's sort of closest aid at this point.

She's with him all the time.

She's able to kind of translate what he wants to the broader communications

team but also just to everyone in the White House and so she's leaving in March or

April we're not sure of the exact time frame. You know people said it didn't have

...