White House Communications Director
White House Communications Director | |
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since March 1, 2023 | |
Executive Office of the President White House Office | |
Reports to | White House Chief of Staff |
Appointer | President of the United States |
Formation | 1969 (White House Office) 1974 (White House Office of the Press Secretary) |
First holder | Herbert G. Klein |
The White House communications director or White House director of communications, also known officially as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the president of the United States. The officeholder is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the president and leading its media campaign.
The director, along with their staff, works on major political speeches such as the inaugural address and the State of the Union Address. The communications director, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president, without the need for United States Senate confirmation, is usually given an office in the West Wing of the White House.
History
[edit]The White House Office of Communications was established by Herbert G. Klein in January 1969 during the Nixon administration.[1][2] It was separate from the Office of the Press Secretary from 1969 to 1974.[3]
Key staff
[edit]- Assistant to the President and White House Communications Director: Ben LaBolt
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director of Communications: Kristen Orthman
- Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications: Herbie Ziskend
- Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications: Jennifer Molina
- Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary: Karine Jean-Pierre
- Deputy Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary: Olivia Dalton
- Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary: Andrew Bates
- Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Press Secretary: Emilie Simons
- Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting: Vinay Reddy
- Assistant to the President and Director of Digital Strategy: Christian Tom
Directors
[edit]Image | Name | Start | End | Duration | President | |
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Herb Klein[4] | January 20, 1969 | July 1, 1973 | 4 years, 162 days | Richard Nixon | |
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Ken Clawson | January 30, 1974 | August 9, 1974 | 191 days | ||
August 9, 1974 | November 4, 1974 | 87 days | Gerald Ford | |||
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Jerry Warren[5] | November 4, 1974 | August 15, 1975 | 284 days | ||
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Margita White[6] | August 15, 1975 | July 12, 1976 | 332 days | ||
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David Gergen[7] | July 12, 1976 | January 20, 1977 | 192 days | ||
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Gerald Rafshoon | July 1, 1978 | August 14, 1979 | 1 year, 44 days | Jimmy Carter | |
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Frank Ursomarso[8][9] | February 23, 1981 | June 17, 1981 | 114 days | Ronald Reagan | |
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David Gergen[10] | June 17, 1981 | January 15, 1984 | 2 years, 212 days | ||
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Michael McManus[5] | January 15, 1984 | February 6, 1985 | 1 year, 22 days | ||
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Pat Buchanan | February 6, 1985 | March 1, 1987 | 2 years, 23 days | ||
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Jack Koehler[11] | March 1, 1987 | March 13, 1987 | 11 days | ||
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Tom Griscom | April 2, 1987 | July 1, 1988 | 1 year, 90 days | ||
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Mari Maseng Will | July 1, 1988 | January 20, 1989 | 203 days | ||
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David Demarest | January 20, 1989 | August 23, 1992 | 3 years, 216 days | George H. W. Bush | |
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Margaret Tutwiler[12] | August 23, 1992 | January 20, 1993 | 150 days | ||
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George Stephanopoulos | January 20, 1993 | June 7, 1993 | 138 days | Bill Clinton | |
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Mark Gearan[13] | June 7, 1993 | August 14, 1995 | 2 years, 68 days | ||
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Don Baer | August 14, 1995 | July 31, 1997 | 1 year, 351 days | ||
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Ann Lewis | July 31, 1997 | March 10, 1999 | 1 year, 222 days | ||
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Loretta Ucelli | March 10, 1999 | January 20, 2001 | 1 year, 316 days | ||
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Karen Hughes | January 20, 2001 | October 2, 2001 | 255 days | George W. Bush | |
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Dan Bartlett[14] | October 2, 2001 | January 5, 2005 | 3 years, 95 days | ||
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Nicolle Wallace | January 5, 2005 | July 24, 2006 | 1 year, 200 days | ||
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Kevin Sullivan | July 24, 2006 | January 20, 2009 | 2 years, 180 days | ||
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Ellen Moran | January 20, 2009 | April 21, 2009 | 91 days | Barack Obama | |
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Anita Dunn Acting |
April 21, 2009 | November 30, 2009 | 223 days | ||
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Dan Pfeiffer | November 30, 2009 | January 25, 2013 | 3 years, 56 days | ||
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Jen Palmieri | January 25, 2013 | April 1, 2015 | 2 years, 66 days | ||
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Jen Psaki | April 1, 2015 | January 20, 2017 | 1 year, 294 days | ||
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Sean Spicer Acting |
January 20, 2017 | March 6, 2017 | 45 days | Donald Trump | |
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Michael Dubke[15][16] | March 6, 2017 | June 2, 2017 | 88 days | ||
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Sean Spicer Acting[16][17] |
June 2, 2017[18][19] | July 21, 2017[20] | 49 days | ||
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Anthony Scaramucci[21] | July 21, 2017[22] | July 31, 2017[23][24] | 11 days | ||
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Hope Hicks[25][26] | August 16, 2017 Acting: August 16, 2017 – September 12, 2017 |
March 29, 2018[27] | 225 days | ||
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Bill Shine[28] | July 5, 2018 | March 8, 2019 | 246 days | ||
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Stephanie Grisham[29] | July 1, 2019 | April 7, 2020 | 281 days | ||
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Kate Bedingfield[30][31] | January 20, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | 2 years, 40 days | Joe Biden | |
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Ben LaBolt | March 1, 2023 | Present | 1 year, 168 days |
References
[edit]- ^ "White House Unit Takes on New Life", The Washington Post, November 26, 1973, p. 9.
- ^ Judiciary, United States Congress House Committee on the (1973). Impeachment: Selected Materials. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160577031.
- ^ "Press Operations in White House Revised, With Politics Ruled Out", The New York Times, August 17, 1974, p. 15.
- ^ "Richard Nixon: Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch". presidency.ucsb.edu.
- ^ a b Kumar, Martha Joynt (July 6, 2007). Managing the President's Message: The White House Communications Operation. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801886522 – via Google Books.
- ^ Shabecoff, Philip (July 13, 1976). "Ford Shifts and Expands Press Staff". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". fordlibrarymuseum.gov.
- ^ "URSOMARSO, FRANK: Files, 1981 (3.1 l.ft.; Box 1-8)" (PDF).
- ^ "Ronald Reagan: Appointment of Frank A. Ursomarso as Director of the White House Office of Communications". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017.
- ^ "Key Reagan Administration Officials". reagan.utexas.edu. Archived from the original on March 4, 2005.
- ^ "Letter Accepting the Resignation of John O. Koehler as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications". reaganlibrary.archives.gov. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016.
- ^ Appointment of Margaret DeBardeleben Tutwiler as Assistant to the President for Communications, gpo.gov.
- ^ "William J. Clinton: Press Briefing by David Gergen and Mark Gearan". presidency.ucsb.edu.
- ^ "George W. Bush: Statement by the Press Secretary: Bartlett Named White House Communications Director". presidency.ucsb.edu.
- ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces White House Staff Appointments", whitehouse.gov, March 6, 2017.
- ^ a b "Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicer". The New Zealand Herald. June 6, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017.
- ^ The White House (July 21, 2017), Press Briefing with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved July 21, 2017
- ^ Herman, Steve (July 21, 2017). "Shakeup Puts Different Face on White House Communications". VOA. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ "Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicer". NZ Herald. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
- ^ Shen, Lucinda (July 21, 2017). "Anthony Scaramucci Thinks the White House Is About to Have a 'Phenomenal Relationship' With the Press". Fortune. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ Shear, Michael D.; Thrush, Glenn; Haberman, Maggie (July 31, 2017). "John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
- ^ Santos, Amanda Proença (July 31, 2017). "Scaramucci Sets New Record for Shortest Term as Communications Director". NBC News. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
Though President Donald Trump appointed Scaramucci to the role 10 days ago, he only held the position for six days thanks to an official start date of July 25.
- ^ "White House Holds Press Briefing after Anthony Scaramucci Resigns as Communications Director". Time. July 31, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
- ^ "Anthony Scaramucci: Five top tips to lose a job in 10 days". BBC News. August 1, 2017.
Anthony Scaramucci had not yet made it to his official start date before he was fired
- ^ "Hope Hicks tapped for interim White House communications director". Fox News. August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
- ^ Ballhaus, Rebecca (September 12, 2017). "Hope Hicks Named Permanent White House Communications Director". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ^ Rogers, Katie; Haberman, Maggie (March 29, 2018). "Hope Hicks is Gone, and It's Not Clear Who Can Replace Her". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
- ^ "Ex-Fox News exec Bill Shine to join White House". The Hill. July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- ^ Wise, Alana (April 7, 2020). "White House Press Secretary Grisham Moves Back To First Lady's Office". NPR. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "Kate Bedingfield, White House Communications Director". President-Elect Joe Biden. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
- ^ "Kate Bedingfield to Depart the White House after over 3 Years Leading the President's Communications Operation". July 6, 2022.