As Americans were focused on Sunday’s big game, news dropped that John Kirby, President Biden’s top national security spokesperson, was getting an expanded role at the White House.
According to multiple reports, Kirby, who previously served as a deputy assistant, is becoming an assistant to Biden under the title of White House national security communications adviser.
He will be in charge of communications coordination for national security across a variety of agencies, the official said.
Kirby will preside over a separate team from the National Security Council's press office, which will continue its daily press operations as usual. It is headed by chief spokesperson Adrienne Watson.
Kirby has been one of the most visible faces of the Biden White House, frequently joining the podium for briefings alongside press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to brief on national security issues, particularly since the Hamas attacks on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's subsequent attack on Gaza.
His appearances in the briefing room will continue, commensurate with when national security issues are dominant themes of the day, the official said. (Reuters)
Kirby's "decades of high level national security experience and his clear, strategic insights make him a deeply valued communicator and adviser on this team,” senior Biden adviser Anita Dunn said in a statement, Reuters reports.
"President Biden is proud to have John leading national security message coordination across the administration as we continue to make a forceful case for our national security interests at home and in the world," she added.
John Kirby is getting a promotion, "will run a separate team from the [WH] national security press team that will coordinate info across agencies"
— Akbar Shahid Ahmed (@AkbarSAhmed) February 11, 2024
The chatter in DC is he loves his expanded influence despite the significant public criticism he's received.https://t.co/CleP3mZPqE
John Kirby is a career talker - not a warfighter. I knew him when I was a Captain in the Navy. The only thing John Kirby is looking out for is himself.
— Hung Cao (@HungCao_VA) February 12, 2024
Makes sense why Biden picked him. Narrative first, national security second. Bad for our country.https://t.co/7nVJWDWR78
The WH can't get rid of KJP, but they clearly see what everyone else sees: Kirby is way better at the job. https://t.co/s1cDBLxePh
— Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) February 12, 2024