I’m trying to think of a time when an important White House staff member announced his or her resignation and then said “Never mind, I’m staying on.” That just doesn’t happen. Yet, nothing is really normal with the administration of Joe Biden so it shouldn’t be a shock that Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, is reneging on her resignation. Kate has decided to stay.
Joe Biden and his chief of staff, Ron Klain, begged her to stay. That is the word from the Wall Street Journal. Joe and Ron “encouraged” her to stay. We know Ron and Jill are running the White House and they must have freaked out when Kate decided to leave.
“After much thought, discussion and reflection, I’ve decided to stay,” Ms. Bedingfield wrote to White House staff on Friday in an email obtained by The Wall Street Journal. “I’m not done here and there is so much more good work to do with all of you.”
Ms. Bedingfield announced earlier this month that she would step down this summer.
But in recent days, after she was asked to stay an extra week following Mr. Biden’s diagnosis with Covid-19, she began having second thoughts about leaving the White House and decided she wanted to continue in her role, according to a person familiar with the matter. Mr. Biden and White House chief of staff Ron Klain encouraged her to stay on, the person said.
A massive thank you to everyone (every. one.) who endured listening to me wax on about how I regretted my decision to leave. There’s so much more to do and I’m so proud and grateful to be part of this team. Onward! https://t.co/KUCV6HZjNk
— Kate Bedingfield (@WHCommsDir) July 29, 2022
She can’t abandon a sinking ship. She must have looked around and read some polls and realized that someone has to be able to get the president’s messaging out. There sure isn’t anyone now who is able to deliver a coherent message. The loss of Jen Psaki left a big hole in the White House communications office. Psaki was a professional and did her job well. We can acknowledge that without agreeing with what she said on behalf of her boss, the president. It is impossible to not notice the vast downgrade the job received when Karine Jean-Pierre was chosen to be the new White House press secretary. Jen could answer questions and have a decent back and forth with reporters (except when she resorted to doing her smirks and slams against Fox News) without relying on reading out of binders. Bedingfield can do the same thing. She’s an experienced professional, too, at this level. Karine Jean-Pierre is so horrible at the job that John Kirby was brought in to be a co-press secretary. He handles the weightier issues like national security and intelligence matters.
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When I wrote about Kate’s resignation earlier this month, I included words from Ron Klain, including an acknowledgement that she would still be helping out even after she leaves the White House.
Ron Klain, Biden’s chief of staff, said in a statement, “Without Kate Bedingfield’s talent and tenacity, Donald Trump might still be in the White House, the Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Law might still be unrealized goals, and Kentaji Brown Jackson might not be sitting on the Supreme Court.
Klain added, “She has played a huge role in everything the President has achieved – from his second term as Vice President, through the campaign, and since coming to the White House. Her strategic acumen, intense devotion to the President’s agenda, and fierce work on his behalf are unmatched. She will continue to remain a critical player in moving the Biden agenda forward from the outside.”
The Wall Street Journal notes her professional experience with Joe Biden and the challenges (crises) this administration faces.
The decision comes as the White House is facing a series of challenges ahead of November’s midterm elections, including low approval ratings for the president, high inflation and concerns about a possible recession. Ms. Bedingfield has advised Mr. Biden since his time as vice president under former President Barack Obama.
She became Mr. Biden’s communications director in 2015 in the vice president’s office and later served in a senior role on his 2020 presidential campaign, where she advised him ahead of campaign debates, televised town hall events and key speeches. She has played a similar role as White House communications director, helping to guide his messaging during his time in office.
Though Joe Biden seems oblivious to what is happening around him, often appearing dazed and confused when reporters ask about bad poll numbers and the fact that 75% of Democrats don’t want him to run for re-election, the rest of the people in the White House must live in panic mode. They understand what is going to happen in November in the midterm elections. Democrats will lose the House and maybe the Senate, too. Joe Biden’s agenda will be dead in the water except for what he can ram through using executive orders. Communication is essential and this White House isn’t good at it. It needs all the help it can get. It’s very believable that Joe and Ron begged Kate to stay. She can’t do it all by herself but think of how much worse it will be if she does eventually leave. Karine Jean-Pierre proved to be a terrible hire as press secretary, chosen as a diversity hire instead of someone with the resume to do the job, like Kate Bedingfield. Biden knows he made a mistake but there is no way to gracefully get out of it without enraging Black women and the LGBTQ community. Kate should have been chosen.
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