Last month, the President of the United States of America Joe Biden made history by becoming the first president to elect an all-female press team. The eight women will take the upper ranks of Biden’s communications super squad, with four of those staffed by women of colour.
Biden’s new all-female press powerhouse marks a step change. Many of the President-elect’s latest appointments have close relationships with Washington press outlets, suggesting a return to more cordial relationships between the White House and the media.
“Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a President, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House,” said Biden.
“I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women. These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better,” he added.
Congratulations to:
Kate Bedingfield who has been elected as the Communications director. “I’m unspeakably proud to have the opportunity to serve as White House Communications Director for @joebiden. Working for him as VP and on this campaign gave me insight into what kind of capable, compassionate, the clear-eyed president he will be and it will be a profound honour to be one small part of his work. It will also be an honour to work alongside the incredible women who are taking on these roles together,” she tweeted.
Jen Psaki who has been elected as the Longtime Democratic spokeswoman and Obama’s White House Communications Director. Following the job announcement, Psaki Twitter: “Honored to work again for @JoeBiden, a man I worked on behalf of during the Obama-Biden Admin as he helped lead the economic recovery, rebuilt our relationships with partners and injected empathy and humanity into nearly every meeting I sat in. This is a team of some of the most talented, battle-tested communicators out there — who are also all women, most diverse team in history and also 6 Moms of young kids.”
Neera Tanden who was appointed as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Yale graduate previously worked as a healthcare adviser in Obama’s administration and an adviser for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. On Twitter, she described herself as “liberal, Indian American, feminist, mom, wife. Not in that order”.
Karine Jean-Pierre is appointed as the Principal Deputy Press Secretary. She is an LGBTQ+ activist, author and Kamala Harris’ former chief of staff. “As a Black gay immigrant who comes from a working-class family, I know that America hasn’t always worked for everyone,” she has said. “And I know that America still doesn’t work for everyone. The truth of the matter is we have a long way to go. But that’s what I’m working toward: mobilizing people around this shared vision of what an America that works for everyone could look like — and then making it happen,” said Jean-Pierre.
Pili Tobar who is appointed at the Deputy Communications Director. She is a former press staffer of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, was most recently deputy director for America’s Voice, an immigration reform advocacy group. Following her job announcement, the Guatemalan-American immigration reform advocate tweeted that she is: “so happy and honoured” to serve among Biden’s “amazing team of women”.
Symone Sanders is appointed as the Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. The juvenile justice activist is the author of the memoir No, You Shut Up. She joined CNN as a commentator in 2016 and was recognised as one of 16 Young Americans Shaping the 2016 Election by Rolling Stone magazine.
Ashley Etienne is the newly appointed Chief spokeswoman to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. In a statement announcing her new role, Harris said: “Our country is facing unprecedented challenges — from the coronavirus pandemic to the economic crisis, to the climate crisis, and a long-overdue reckoning over racial injustice. To overcome these challenges, we need to communicate clearly, honestly, and transparently with the American people, and this experienced, talented, and barrier-shattering team will help us do that.”
Elizabeth Alexander is appointed as the Communications Director for First Lady Jill Biden. The Washington lawyer has worked for the Bidens before, as press secretary for Biden when he was vice president and his communications director when he was a US senator from Delaware. “I’ve long admired Elizabeth’s intellect, grace, and optimism during her many years on the Biden team. We know her as a consummate professional and manager with contagious enthusiasm,” said Jill Biden.
