Hope Hicks tells friends she’s ruled out returning to Trumpworld -- at least for this year

According to multiple sources familiar with the conversations, Hicks has told confidants over the past couple weeks that she’s ruled out even entertaining a return to the Trump administration for the remainder of 2018, even if the president asked. Whether she’d still refuse beyond that is less clear, though multiple friends tell The Daily Beast that Hicks has clearly indicated she wouldn’t be interested in returning to Trump’s West Wing for years, if ever…

Sources in and outside of the White House tell The Daily Beast that Trump has not, in fact, even called Hicks to discuss a possible chief of staff appointment, though the two have been in touch at least twice since Hicks left D.C. One instance occurred when, according to a White House official, President Trump ordered staff to send Hicks a dictated message wishing her well in her future endeavors and expressing that he missed her.

As for the chief of staff gig, sources said that the president is leaning far heavier toward tapping someone still working in the administration for whenever Kelly ends up leaving. Frontrunners remain Nick Ayers, Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, and Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget.