WASHINGTON - Stephanie Grisham, communications director for first lady Melania Trump and a longtime aide to President Donald Trump, will succeed Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary, Mrs. Trump announced on Tuesday.

Melania Trump announced the development in a tweet to conclude the president's search for a press secretary after Sanders decided to resign and go back home to Arkansas earlier this month.

Grisham, 42, a fixture in the Arizona Republican Party, was one of Trump's first hires for his presidential campaign - as a press aide in 2015.

She served as a deputy press secretary in the White House when he took office in January 2017 and eventually moved over to the first lady's operation, and she has been fiercely loyal to the Trumps.

A clue that the president was leaning toward Grisham for the job came when aides said she had been added to the White House team going with Trump to the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea, this week.

The fact that Mrs. Trump announced the appointment, instead of the president himself, showed that the first lady was willing to part with Grisham.

Grisham will have the dual role of press secretary and communications director. Sanders had essentially been doing both roles as well, without the communications director title.

Melania Trump's tweet said: "I am pleased to announce @StephGrisham45 will be the next @PressSec & Comms Director! She has been with us since 2015 - @potus & I can think of no better person to serve the Administration & our country. Excited to have Stephanie working for both sides of the @WhiteHouse. #BeBest"

Grisham was viewed internally as the candidate with the best rapport with President Trump, a key requirement.

Trump told reporters he offered Grisham the job on Tuesday morning.

"I think she's going to do a great job," he said. "It's a big job. It's a very big job." - Reuters