In the
2012 presidential election, Westerhout worked for the
campaign of
Mitt Romney. In 2013, she worked for candidate
John R. Kuhn in the
Republican primary for the
special election in South Carolina's first congressional district. Later that year, she interned for Congressman
John Campbell. In the summer of 2013, Westerhout began working for the
Republican National Committee and the Republican Party Organizing Committee. From January 2015, she worked as an assistant to RNC chief of staff
Katie Walsh. On January 19, 2017, Donald Trump's transition team announced that Westerhout would serve as special assistant and executive assistant to the President. A June 2018 release of White House salary data revealed that Westerhout was paid US$130,000 for the position. She was promoted to Director of Oval Office Operations on February 2, 2019, at US$145,000 annually. Trump often referred to her as "my beauty." On August 29, 2019, she was fired after it was revealed that she had shared details about Trump's family and White House operations to reporters – reportedly while intoxicated – at an off-the-record dinner.
Politico reported she was fired because she boasted of having a better relationship with Trump than his daughters did, and that she said Trump disliked being photographed with daughter
Tiffany Trump because he considered her overweight. On May 9, 2024, under subpoena, she testified during the
Trump hush money case about her time working at the White House, stating that checks were delivered to the White House by Trump Organization employees to be signed by Trump. ==Bibliography==