Rumors of a possible Hope Hicks return to the White House didn’t escape the ears of President Trump, who on Friday avoided a direct answer but complemented his former White House communications director.

“Oh really?” Trump coyly responded when a reporter on Air Force One asked of Hicks could return. “Well, I don’t know. I love Hope. She’s great. I hope that — I’ve been hearing little things like that.”

“I think everybody misses it,” the president said before getting in a slam at the press for their role in the turnover. “You people exhaust a lot of people. They come in full of life and vim and vigor and then they’re exhausted, and then they get their breath.”

“Frankly, Hope is great and so are many of the other people and they went out. But many people would like to come back. Look, there is nothing more exciting than what we’re doing.” (RELATED: Prank Call Exposes President Trump Being Nice To Democrats — But Proves He’s Ready To Hold His Ground)

Vanity Fair reported on Friday the Hicks is a “dark-horse” candidate to potentially replace John Kelly as chief of staff.

“Two sources say Hicks’s name is being discussed inside the White House,” wrote Vanity Fair’s Gabriel Sherman. “According to a source close to Hicks, she has told people she is open to the job if Trump asked, but is not pursuing it. When I reached out, she declined to comment.”

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