A White House official tried to quash a story about his relationship with a reporter by issuing threats and using derogatory language to another reporter pursuing it, according to two sources familiar with the incident. In a sympathetic profile Monday, People revealed that White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo is dating Axios political reporter Alexi McCammond, who covered the Joe Biden campaign. But behind the scenes, Ducklo had previously lashed out at Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, who was reporting the story, exhibiting behavior that led to tense meetings between the Washington news outlet’s editors and senior White House officials.
After Vanity Fair published this account, the White House announced that Ducklo would be suspended for one week.
The confrontation began on Inauguration Day, January 20, after Palmeri, a coauthor of Politico’s Playbook, contacted McCammond for comment while one of her male colleagues left a message for Ducklo, according to the sources. Ducklo subsequently called a Playbook editor to object to the story, but was told to call the Playbook reporters with his concerns. But instead of calling the male reporter who initially contacted him, Ducklo tried to intimidate Palmeri by phone in an effort to kill the story. “I will destroy you,” Ducklo told her, according to the sources, adding that he would ruin her reputation if she published it.
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 fuck” McCammond “and not you.” Ducklo also accused Palmeri of being “jealous” of his relationship with McCammond. (Palmeri had no prior relationship or communication with McCammond before calling her to report on the Playbook item, which was a story that she was assigned and had not independently pursued.)
The following day, an editor at Politico reached out to the White House about Ducklo’s threats, spurring multiple conversations between the news outlet and senior-level officials on January 21, including White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, and Biden senior adviser Anita Dunn. In one of those calls, senior White House officials acknowledged that Ducklo’s handling of the call with Palmeri was inappropriate and said he would send a note to her apologizing for the comments. In another conversation, the same White House officials took aim at Palmeri by accusing her of breaking an off-the-record agreement with Ducklo and pressing Politico as to why the contents of the call had been revealed. Palmeri had only informed her editors of the contents of the call, which she had transcribed into her notes as it was happening, after they asked her about it.
Palmeri declined to comment. Psaki and Ducklo did not immediately respond to requests for comment. After publication, Psaki issued a statement: “TJ Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the President. In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret. With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one-week suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico.”
When the series of calls between the White House and Politico had concluded, Ducklo sent Palmeri an email stating that he was sorry he lost his cool, but he did not delve into any specifics or apologize for threatening and sexually harassing the reporter, according to sources familiar with the exchange. Politico reported on Ducklo and McCammond’s relationship in Tuesday’s Playbook, after it was first revealed the previous night by People.
Ducklo’s alleged response to Politico’s reporting raises serious questions about behavior that is tolerated in the Biden White House. “I am not joking when I say this: If you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts,” Biden said during a virtual swearing-in of appointees on his first day in the White House. Playbook highlighted those remarks on January 21 under the heading “Biden Sets Standard for Professional Behavior,” and asked, “Serious question on our minds this morning: Does this standard apply to how mid-level press aides treat reporters?”
The first objectionable comment I saw was at the beginning of an article, where a Biden aide said to a reporter, “I will destroy you!” That was only the beginning of a number of unpalatable statements made be a number of reporters that seemed more suitable to the kind of trash that is mostly used in gutter print! What the confrontations were about were mainly those of reporters dissing one another for whatever reasons they obviously believed they had! Not exactly what one would exprect from one of the more respectible magazines!
Apparently, THAT is ALL they can do and will do = DESTROY……For how long are we going to put up with that…????
Notice nothing but a gaggle of GENOCIDAL women running the presidency. Women are the most sadistic animals on Earth. Example, they can kill their babies and go to McDonald’s for a big Mac within 30minutes of killing their child. They don’t blank at turning the gas valve, now sadistic experiments . Like the black widow look at how many mates have been butchered. Now we have. RICE LEADING THIS ARMY OF SADISTS, IS MCHAEL IN ON IT, I WOULD GUESS SHE IS THE CLOSET KILLER. OBAMAO BELUEVES IN WHITE GENOCIDE, WOMEN BELIEVE IN TAKING ANY HUMAN OYT.. MARK MY WORDS THIS IS GOING TOO BE A DOG EAT DOG REGIME. AND SLOE JOE IS JUST A BASEMENT SLAVE TO KEEP JUICED, BY DR. JILL, SHE SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH ELDER ABUSE. ZERO DIFFERENCE IN HER AND THE CUOMO . HE IDINT BLINK WHEN HE KILLED 16,000. ELDERLY AND SEES IT AS HIS RIGHT TOO KILL. THIS IS THE ENTIRE DEMOCRAT REGIME, DEATH IS THERE MO
So much for another Bribeme lie…that ANYONE on his staff treats anyone with disrespect, “I’ll fire you on the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts,” Color me surprised that a corrupt, mendacious, incompetent and senile individual who stole the presidency through graft would go back on a fundamental vow. Once a liar, always one.
Your fired dirtbag. u just destroyed u.
This man should be fired…not slapped not on the wrist! This incident will haunt the Biden administration.
Are there any sane newly hired goons ?Amazing that Democrats have NO class and can not interact normal with people