President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference announcing Alexander Acosta as the new labor secretary nominee in the East Room at the White House on Thursday. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

CNN’s Jim Acosta reported Thursday evening that Mike Dubke, founder of conservative communications firm Crossroads Media, has been chosen as President Trump’s new White House communications director.

GOP operative and Crossroads Media founder Mike Dubke expected to be named new WH comms director, I'm told. — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 17, 2017

Dubke will work along with Sean Spicer who remains press secretary according to two administration officials. https://t.co/MjG64U1JxH — Jim Acosta (@Acosta) February 17, 2017

Crossroads Media has done work for Karl Rove super PAC American Crossroads. Rove was vocally opposed to Trump’s candidacy early in the 2016 Republican primary race, a fact that has upset some in Trump’s circle. “Dubke and his Crossroads friends did everything they could to kill the Trump movement and failed,” an anonymous Trump “loyalist” told CNN. The generally pro-Trump Breitbart has already derided Dubke as a “Rove acolyte.”

The move is expected to alleviate pressure on Sean Spicer, who currently serves as both White House communications director and White House press secretary and has been widely criticized and mocked for his performance in the latter role.