WASHINGTON (AP) – White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo has resigned, a day after being suspended for posing a sexist and ominous threat to a journalist who wanted to cover up his relationship with another reporter .
Ducklo was paid without payment for a week-long suspension Friday after a post appeared in Vanity Fair setting out his sexist threats against a female Politico journalist to try to suppress a story about his relationship, and saying her ‘I will destroy you’. The journalist tried to report on his relationship with a political reporter at Axios, who had previously discussed the Biden campaign and transition.
Ducklo said in a statement on Saturday that he was “devastated to have embarrassed and disappointed my colleagues and President Biden in the White House.”
“No words can express my regret, my embarrassment and my disgust for my behavior,” he said. I used language that no one ever needs to hear from anyone, especially in a situation where she’s just trying to do her job. It was an abominable, disrespectful and unacceptable language. ‘
Before Politico broke the story on Tuesday, People Magazine published a glowing profile of the relationship. It was the first time anyone had publicly acknowledged that they were dating.
This is the first departure of the new government, less than a month into President Joe Biden, and it comes as the White House has been criticized for failing to meet the standards set by Biden himself in their decision to retain Ducklo. .
While the staff was virtually sworn in on Inauguration Day, Biden said that “if you ever work with me and I hear you treat another colleague with respect, talk to someone, then I’ll fire you right away. “
“No ifs, ands or buts,” Biden added.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki faced a flurry of questions about the controversy on Friday, with reporters highlighting Biden’s comments and questioning the decision to suspend Ducklo for just a week.
Confronted with the president’s comments, Psaki said on Friday that Ducklo’s behavior “does not meet our standards, it does not meet the president’s standard, and it is important that we take a step to make this clear. ” She points to excuses made by the top members of the White House’s communications team and Ducklo himself to the Politico reporter, as sufficient moves that reflect the seriousness of the situation.
Psaki said in a statement on Saturday that Ducklo’s decision came with the support of Ron Klain, chief of staff of the White House, adding that ‘we are committed to striving every day to meet the standard set by the president has to treat others with dignity and respect. , with civility and with a value for others through our words and our actions. ”