The Real Reason Jen Psaki Is Likely Stepping Down Next Year
White House press secretary Jen Psaki doesn't plan to keep her role in the Biden administration for too much longer. As the press secretary, Psaki regularly delivers press briefings on a variety of topics and acts as the face of the Biden administration. The communications expert has worked in the White House for a while now but appears to have a plan for leaving her current role next year.
The Connecticut native has an impressive background in politics. She worked with former President Barack Obama on his presidential campaign back in 2008. After he won that election, Psaki followed him to the White House where she served as his deputy press secretary and deputy communications director. She briefly left the White House in 2013 to become the spokesperson for the State Department but returned in 2015 to be Obama's communication director.
During her time with the Obama administration, Psaki developed a relationship with President Biden, and he chose her to be his press secretary when he took office. But Psaki said on David Axelrod's podcast, "The Axe Files" (via Business Insider), that there was one condition in place. She explained, "when I talked to the inner circle of the Biden orbit, we talked about coming in and doing this job for a year, which was quite appealing to me for many reasons." She added, "following Trump, if you can take the temperature down a little bit, that's a cool thing to be a part of." So why would Psaki want to leave such an appealing position?
Jen Psaki doesn't want to miss special moments with her kids
White House press secretary Jen Psaki appears to love her job working for the Biden administration. She told CNN's Don Lemon (via AOL), "I'm so honored to serve this president, and at this moment in history to be a small part of rebuilding trust in government." So why does she want to step down from her post next year? The real reason is more personal than you think.
Psaki is a mother of two and wants to be more present for her young children. She explained, "I also have two little kids who are preschoolers, and I know a lot of moms who watch your show who understand that. I don't want to miss a lot of moments." Psaki reiterated that sentiment on "The Axe Files," saying (via Business Insider), "it's a great job. It will be hard, but I also never thought I'd be here, and I also love my kids a lot."
It appears Psaki will be just fine with leaving her great job to someone else. She said to Lemon, "I think at a certain point it's time to have other people serve in these jobs and roles, and have this front seat to history." She added that she hoped her time as press secretary has made a difference, saying, "I'm hopeful that part of what I can do in this job is help build that up and help give people opportunity, and lift up some new voices and faces."