Melania Trump's spokeswoman to be White House press secretary

WASHINGTON (AP/FOX 10) -- Melania Trump announced Tuesday that her longtime spokesman and confidante will succeed Sarah Sanders as White House press secretary.

Stephanie Grisham has been with President Donald Trump since 2015, when he launched the presidential campaign. She will also take on the role of White House communications director, a strategic and forward-looking role that has been vacant since March. Grisham will also accompany Trump on a trip to Japan and South Korea on Wednesday.

The first lady announced the news on Twitter, saying she "can think of no better person to serve the Administration & our country."

"Excited to have Stephanie working for both sides of the @WhiteHouse," Mrs. Trump said.

Grisham worked directly for Trump after he took office in 2017. She was a deputy press secretary in the West Wing before she was tapped in March of that year to run communications for the first lady. She will continue to serve the first lady in her new capacity.

"I've always had a picture of the White House, and it would always sit in front my desk, so that whenever I would have a hard day, I could look at it and remember what my goal was," said Grisham, in an interview with FOX 10's Kari Lake in 2017.

Grisham will succeed Sanders, whose resignation is effective at the end of the month.

Grisham's road to the White House began in Arizona, when she served as a spokesperson for former Attorney General Tom Horne, as well as former Speaker of the State House David Gowan, who is now a state senator.

Marson Media CEO Barrett Marson used to work with Grisham during her time in Arizona, and said she is stepping into one of the most difficult jobs of her career.

"Stephanie is now going to have the spotlight of the nation and of the world at times upon her, so it will be interesting to see how she deals with that," said Marson.