WASHINGTON (AP) – Deputy White House press secretary TJ Ducklo resigned the day after he was expelled for issuing a sexist and blasphemous threat to a journalist trying to cover his relationship with another reporter.
Ducklo had been suspended for a week without pay on Friday after a report surfaced in Vanity Fair in which he outlines his sexist threats against a female Politico journalist to try to suppress a story about his relationship by telling her “I will destroy you.” The journalist wanted to report on his relationship with a political reporter at Axios who had previously covered the Biden campaign and transition.
In a statement Saturday, Ducklo said he was “devastated that he had embarrassed and disappointed my colleagues at the White House and President Biden.”
“There are no words to express my regret, my embarrassment and my disgust for my behavior,” he said. I used language that no woman should ever hear from anyone, especially in a situation where she was just trying to do her job. It was language that was repugnant, disrespectful and unacceptable. “
Before Politico broke the story on Tuesday, People Magazine posted a glowing profile of the relationship. It was the first time either of them had publicly acknowledged that they were dating.
It’s the new government’s first departure less than a month after President Joe Biden’s tenure, and it’s because the White House has been criticized for not living up to the standards Biden himself set in their decision to keep Ducklo. .
During a virtual swearing-in for staff on the inauguration day, Biden said that “if you ever work with me and I hear that you are disrespectful to another colleague, talk to someone and I will fire you right there.”
“None if, and or but,” added Biden.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was faced with a string of questions about the controversy on Friday, with reporters highlighting Biden’s comments and questioning Ducklo’s decision to suspend Ducklo for just a week.
Faced with those comments from the president, Psaki said Friday that Ducklo’s behavior “is not up to our standards, not up to the president’s standard, and it was important that we took a step to make that clear.” She pointed to the apologies of the top White House communications team members and Ducklo himself to the Politico reporter as broad measures that reflected the gravity of the situation.
On Saturday, Psaki said in a statement that Ducklo’s decision came with the support of White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, adding that “we are committed every day to meeting the standard set by the president. by treating others with dignity and respect., with courtesy, and with value to others through our words and deeds. “