Biden’s White House suspends deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo for one week for threatening to “destroy” Politico reporter over love affair with Axios journalist
President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s White House on Friday suspended TJ Ducklo, a White House deputy press secretary, for one week without pay for threatening to “destroy’ a female reporter at Politico for a report on his relationship with another reporter at Axios.
A Vanity Fair report said Ducklo threatened Politico’s Tara Palmeri over the story, warning that he would “destroy her” if she published it. She did.
In addition, the publication said Ducklo made misogynistic comments to Palmeri, accusing her of being “jealous” about his relationship with Alexi McCammond.
CNN quoted a person familiar with the matter as confirming details of the conversation Ducklo had with Palmeri.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement and repeated at her briefing on Friday that Ducklo has apologized over the “heated conversation about his personal life.”
“He is the first to acknowledge hat this is not the standard of behavior set out by the president,” Psaki said, adding that when he returns from suspension, “He will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico.”
Palmeri reported on Tuesday that Ducklo had been in a romantic relationship with McCammond, a reporter for Axios.
Politico quoted Axios as saying that McCammond disclosed her relationship with Ducklo in November and was “taken off the Biden beat.”
Palmeri reported that McCammond’s beat includes covering Vice President Kamala Harris and had commended positively of Biden after he was inaugurated.
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa. Simon covers President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, the U.S. government, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington D.C. and New York City.
