Chief Pentagon spokeswoman stepping down

By Umar Farooq</p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said Monday she would be stepping down from her position in U.S. President Donald Trump's administration after just over a year and a half in the role.</p> <p>&quot;I appreciate the opportunity afforded to me by this administration to serve alongside [Defense] Secretary [James] Mattis, our Service members and all the civilians who support them. It has been my honor and privilege. Stay safe and God bless,&quot; White said on Twitter.</p> <p>White's departure is the latest in a string of high-profile resignations from the Trump administration. Mattis announced his resignation earlier this month after Trump decided to withdraw American troops from Syria.</p> <p> Brett McGurk, the U.S. special envoy for the global coalition to defeat Daesh, announced his departure the next day.</p> <p>White was occasionally a source of controversy during her time as Pentagon spokeswoman. She came under investigation in August after reports surfaced that she had been using staff to run personal errands.</p> <p>The reasoning behind White's departure remains unclear, but the Pentagon announced that Charles Summers Jr. will assume the role in an acting capacity beginning Tuesday.</p> <p>Prior to this appointment, Summers served under White in the Pentagon's public affairs office.</p> <p>*Kasim Ileri contributed to this story