United States President-elect Joe Biden on Monday announced an all-women press team. Biden’s transition team said that it was the first time in the country’s history that women will hold all the communication positions.
The new team will be headed by Biden’s Campaign Communications Director Kate Bedingfield. She will now serve as the White House communications director.
Jen Psaki, a long-term Democrat spokesperson, will be Biden’s press secretary. Psaki also served as the White House communications director during former President Barack Obama’s tenure.
The president-elect’s other appointments include Pili Tobar as the deputy White House communications director and Karine Jean Pierre as principal deputy press secretary. Elizabeth Alexander will be the communications director for incoming First Lady Jill Biden, while Ashley Etienne will serve as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ communications director.
The appointments to the president’s press team, unlike the Cabinet positions, do not need a confirmation from the Senate.
Biden welcomed the team and said they will bring diverse perspectives. “I am proud to announce today [Monday] the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women,” he said. “These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better.”
Biden has been projected to become the president with 306 electoral votes, against President Donald Trump’s tally of 232. He is likely to be confirmed by the electoral college on December 14 and sworn into office on January 20.
Meanwhile, Trump, in his first television interview since the November 3 elections, on Sunday suggested that he will never concede to Biden and continued to claim, without evidence, that there had been widespread voter fraud. Trump has time till December 8 to challenge and resolve election disputes before the Electoral College meets on December 14 to formally declare the winner.
Last week, the president-elect had named the members of his Cabinet. He nominated Anthony Blinken the secretary of state and Avril Haines the first woman director of national intelligence. Jake Sullivan was named the White House national security adviser, while Alejandro Mayorkas was nominated the secretary of homeland security. Mayorkas will be the first person of Latin ethnicity to occupy the post.
The president-elect also named former Secretary of State John Kerry the special climate envoy. Kerry is considered to be one of the prominent architects of the Paris Climate Agreement and had signed the accord in 2016.
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