Calling into question President Biden's stated commitment to civility and having a zero-tolerance policy for disrespect from those who work for him, it was reported on Friday that a former White House aide who resigned — under pressure for threatening to "destroy" a reporter — less than a month after Biden was inaugurated has been hired back into BidenWorld for a senior role with the 2024 re-election campaign.
It might seem like more time has passed since Biden took office and his team took over the White House but little more than two years ago — as Biden staffers tried to find their stride and get used to daily operations — the West Wing had one of its first distracting controversies within days, courtesy of then-Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo.
As Vanity Fair reported after Ducklo threatened Politico reporter Tara Palmeri while she worked on a story about a romantic relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond:
Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo lashed out at journalist Tara Palmeri, spurring conversations between Politico's brass and the White House—and raising questions about behavior tolerated in the Biden administration...
During the off-the-record call, Ducklo made derogatory and misogynistic comments, accusing Palmeri of only reporting on his relationship—which, due to the ethics questions that factor into the relationship between a journalist and White House official, falls under the purview of her reporting beat—because she was "jealous" that an unidentified man in the past had "wanted to f**k" McCammond "and not you." Ducklo also accused Palmeri of being "jealous" of his relationship with McCammond.
Ducklo also threatened to "destroy" Palmeri if she ran the story, according to Vanity Fair's report. That story led the White House to suspend Ducklo for one week, but that did little to remedy the situation. Ultimately, just before Valentine's Day, Ducklo tendered his resignation. Then-White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki confirmed its acceptance and a "discussion" with Ducklo that "occurred with the support of the White House chief of staff."
Well, apparently two years and change of time and a post-White House gig as head of communications for Nashville Mayor John Cooper was enough penance for Ducklo. On Friday, the Biden campaign confirmed to the Tennessee Lookout that Ducklo "will serve as Senior Advisor for Communications to the campaign, which is expected to be based in Delaware."
Despite accepting his resignation in February 2021, Psaki told the Lookout that "T.J. has an incredible understanding of the media, which will be valuable to the campaign."
But not everyone inside BidenWorld is excited to see Ducklo return. According to a report from Politico earlier this spring, some fellow former White House communications staffers were critical of "tone-deaf" talk that Ducklo might be poised to make a return to Biden's orbit:
Ducklo’s anticipated return has sparked debate and controversy among former Biden administration and campaign staffers — some of them vying for campaign jobs themselves — about what type of behavior is forgivable in a public role. It has also led to an outpouring of support from his former colleagues, underscoring the enduring bond among the original staffers who helped launch Biden’s 2020 campaign and their deep conviction about giving Ducklo a second chance.
It's perhaps worth noting that Ducklo's second chance does not have him returning to his previous Biden campaign role of national press secretary, but his return to official duty on behalf of the president does present an opportunity for more train wreck interviews like this one from just before Election Day 2020 with on Fox News Channel's "Special Report" with Bret Baier:
Bret Baier just asked Biden's National Press Sec a simple yes or no question:
— Caleb Hull (@CalebJHull) September 10, 2020
Has Joe Biden ever used a teleprompter during a TV interview?
TJ Ducklo refused to answer and instead had a meltdown. Disaster of an interview for the Biden campaign. pic.twitter.com/OEyi2eb31L
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