Hope Hicks, the former White House communications director who served during the chaotic first year of the Trump administration, has been named head of corporate communications for New Fox, the company to emerge after 21st Century Fox completes the sale of assets to Disney early next year. While Hicks has connections to Trump, O'Brien has roots in Democratic politics as a former chief of staff to several Democratic senators. She will report to Viet Dinh, Fox’s chief legal and policy officer. FOX also announced the hiring of Danny O'Brien, an executive at GE, to be the head of government relations. The current PR chief at 21st Century Fox, Julie Henderson, is leaving when the deal is done, along with several other executives. Hicks will be moving to Los Angeles for the FOX role. The company is now refocusing on its Fox broadcast network, Fox News and other news- and sports-heavy cable channels — which has come to be known in media circles as "New Fox." Disney is buying the 20th Century Fox studio, FX Networks, National Geographic Partners and other entertainment-focused assets for $71.3 billion. In February, just before her resignation from the White House, Hicks gave more than eight hours of private testimony before the House Intelligence Committee in connection with the House probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Hicks’ close association with Trump made her appointment at Fox an immediately hot topic of discussion on social media. “Hope Hicks’ presence at Fox will further align the Trump communications apparatus with the Fox News propaganda machine,” said Angelo Carusone, president of the watchdog group Media Matters for America. Hicks’ appointment was hailed via Twitter by her former colleague, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “Fox won’t find anyone smarter or more talented than Hope Hicks,” Sanders wrote. https://t.co/mUQUlip5oc — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) October 8, 2018 
 
 Hicks had been a close advisor to President Donald Trump, having joined his campaign in January 2015 after working as director of communications for the Trump Organization.
– Hope Hicks has landed her post-White House gig. President Trump's former communications director, who left the administration earlier this year, is now the head of corporate communications for Fox. Hicks will assume the role for the new version of the company that will emerge after Disney purchases 21st Century Fox's assets next year; Disney is buying the entertainment-focused assets, leaving behind a streamlined company "rooted in television," as Variety puts it, and revolving around Fox News, Fox Sports, and Fox Broadcasting Co. (Variety says this new company will be called New Fox, though CNN says it will be renamed FOX from Fox, and NBC News explains that "New Fox" is simply how the company has become known in media circles.) Hicks, whose official title is executive VP and chief communications officer, succeeds Julie Henderson, who decided not to transition from 21st Century Fox. Rupert Murdoch will be co-chairman of the new company, it was announced last week, while his son Lachlan will be CEO. Also Monday, Danny O'Brien was named executive VP and head of government relations. "Hope and Danny are proven leaders and world-class public affairs professionals. Together they will define and project Fox’s voice to our relevant communities," said Fox’s chief legal and policy officer, Viet Dinh, in a statement.