Trump's deputy national security advisor heads for the exits: White House says Dina Powell will leave the administration early next year

Powell, a Goldman Sachs veteran, will return to New York early next year, the White House announced on Friday
'She has always planned to serve one year before returning home to New York,' White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement
Sanders said Powell remains supportive of President Donald Trump's agenda and will continue to work on Middle East policy after she leaves the administration
Powell was roundly praised by her peers in White House statements announcing her departure, which is not imminent, unlike other turnover in the building

By Francesca Chambers, White House Correspondent For Dailymail.com

Published: 19:02 GMT, 8 December 2017 | Updated: 21:28 GMT, 8 December 2017

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The president's deputy national security adviser, Dina Powell, is leaving the administration.

Powell, a Goldman Sachs veteran, will return to New York early next year, the White House announced on Friday.

'Dina Powell has been a key, trusted advisor in this administration,' press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. 'She has always planned to serve one year before returning home to New York.'

Sanders said Powell remains supportive of President Donald Trump's agenda and will continue to work on Middle East policy after she leaves the administration.

The president's deputy national security adviser, Dina Powell, is leaving the administration

Powell takes part in a group photo with President Donald Trump and other members of the White House National Security Council on the steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Septemer

Powell is seen here meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Jared Kushner in Tel Aviv in August

Powell's departure, while intentional, follows a string of personnel changes within the administration.

The president has changed out his communications director, press secretary, chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and Health and Human Services secretary since taking office.

He fired his first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, after the former director of national intelligence was caught lying to the vice president.

Steve Bannon, the president's chief strategist, left the administration this summer amid furor over Trump's claim that there were 'very fine' people on both sides of a Charlottesville protest and counter-protest of white supremacy.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is also on the ropes, with rumors circulating that Trump wants to replace him with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

The Department of Homeland Security received a new secretary today, as well, Kirstjen Nielson, previously the deputy chief of staff, but that was only after Trump put its previous head, John Kelly, in charge of the West Wing following the sacking of Reince Priebus.

Of the president's inner White House circle, only Hope Hicks, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Dan Scavino and Gary Cohn remain. Cohn, too, is anticipated to leave if Trump gets his massive tax overhaul.

Powell initially entered the administration as an economic adviser to the president. She accepted a security position later and has been working since March under Flynn's replacement H.R. McMaster.

White House officials hailed Powell as 'invaluable' in statements on Friday afternoon.

'She organized and drove an effort to restore our nation's strategic competence,' Trump's current national security advisor, H.R. McMaster, said. 'Her sage advice helped provide options to the President and her strong relationships across the U.S. government and internationally helped drive execution of the President's decisions.'

McMaster graciously spoke of her as 'one of the most talented and effective leaders with whom I have ever served.'

'All of us look forward to continuing to work with her, as she continues to support this Administration's efforts on Middle East peace and other issues.'

Of the president's inner White House circle, only Hope Hicks (pictured talking to Powell) Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Kellyanne Conway, Dan Scavino and Gary Cohn remain in the administration

Kushner, who Trump has tapped to put together a Middle East peace plan, said, Powell 'has done a great job for the Administration and has been a valued member of the Israeli-Palestinian peace team.'

'She will continue to play a key role in our peace efforts and we will share more details on that in the future,' he said.

The announcement that the senior administration official plans to leave Washington comes on the heels of Trump's decision this week to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel.

Powell had been helping the president's son-in-law, Kushner, with whom she has a close working relationship, and Jason Greenblatt, a special envoy to the region who previously served as the president's lawyer at his real estate organization, with their Middle East peace plan.

Negotiations hit a roadblock this week after Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, prompting fury in the West Bank. A White House official told DailyMail.com on Thursday that talks were sure to resume after a cooling off period and an accord would be presented at some point in 2018.

Her departure date unsettled, Powell is expected to travel to the region with Vice President Mike Pence later this month.