Friday February 12, 2021
Journalist threatened
White House puts deputy press officer on leave
Donald Trump often referred to the media as "enemies of the people". After the change of power, the Biden government promised a different style – and is nevertheless confronted with the first scandal. A White House spokesman reportedly threatened a journalist in a dispute.
The White House suspended a vice spokesman for a week after allegedly threatening a journalist in an argument. His behavior was "completely unacceptable" and he knows it, said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Friday. The punishment followed an article in Vanity Fair magazine. It said that the vice-spokesman T.J. Ducklo had threatened a reporter from the Politico website that she would be "destroyed" and her reputation destroyed. The journalist had asked questions about Ducklo's relationship with a reporter on the Axios website.
The suspension raised questions in Washington. After former President Donald Trump frequently insulted the media as "enemies of the people", the White House promised his successor Joe Biden that the press would be dealt with professionally. Psaki was also reminded of Biden's announcement at her press conference that he would fire anyone who was disrespectful to his colleagues on the spot. "We found it was a serious penalty," she said of the free suspension. She made the decision in consultation with Biden's chief of staff Ron Klain, she did not speak to the president about it, said Psaki.
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