White House deputy press secretary resigns after threatening reporter over story about him

[Jose Garcia]

Source: CNN

(CNN)White House deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo, who threatened a reporter who asked about his relationship with another reporter, has resigned said his boss, White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Saturday night.

"We accepted the resignation of TJ Ducklo after a discussion with him this evening. This conversation occurred with the support of the White House Chief of Staff," Psaki said in a statement.

Ducklo released a statement on Twitter saying, in part, "I know this was terrible. I know I can't take it back. But I also know I can learn from it and do better."

Ducklo was suspended Friday for one week without pay after Vanity Fair story published earlier that day a reporter from Politico was working on an article about his romantic relationship with a reporter from another news outlet.

Read more: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/02/13/media/tj-ducklo-resigns/index.html

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

1. Great. Threatening reporters is supposed to be the Trump way.

Something we Dems can say we oppose and don't do.

[Rebl2]

2. Should have

been fired from the start, not suspended!

[Lucky Luciano]

4. I would say it was proper to review the facts before firing him.

Seems like they did and he got sacked.

[More_Cowbell]

8. The WH's initial solution was untenable

And they didn't say that they were considering other options. They suspended him for a week and then he would have no contact with Politico. In the end, that would punish only Politico by making them lose access (that all other media had) to a highly placed source.

Biden was congratulated for instituting a tough policy, *because* it was a tough policy, and then his administration blew it the first time it was tested.

I feel bad that this guy has stage 4 cancer, but that's something that should affect how he acts, not how he's disciplined.

And of course, no one's health care should depend on their job. It wouldn't surprise (or bother) me if the administration keeps him on in a non-public-facing position.

[bottomofthehill]

3. Press manufactured outrage

Handsome Thirty something press aid with stage 4 cancer enters a relationship with a beautiful young female reporter and a reporter for politico starts asking about her sleeping her way to the top and he blows his stack. Professional, nope, but still, I feel for him on a couple levels. He knows he was wrong, apologized, is not proud of his behavior, but really, press people pissing on press people in a professional rivalry urinating contest.

[George II]

7. Good analysis. And the fact that it was a Politico "reporter" is telling.

[Jay25]

16. You may be correct. I don't understand the purpose of Palmeri writing a piece on his girlfriend.

[OldBaldy1701E]

22. Hey

RWNJs are everywhere and they are going to try and torpedo Biden and everything connected to his administration. I bet this guy is secretly trying to dig up anything he can use to attack anything Biden and/or Democrat. Typical. Now, having said that, the fact that this guy flew off the handle about the article kind of says to me that he felt a reason to react the way he did. He may just be offended that someone is trying to ruin his life for a political hit (his overreaction has accomplished the same thing I am afraid), or... well, this IS D.C....

[Boomer]

17. Sorry, I can't share your perspective

This was a nothing issue, a minor conflict-of-interest story that wouldn't have ruffled any feathers, UNTIL Ducklo blew it out of the water by threatening a reporter -- a clear abuse of power -- and verbally abusing her with demeaning, vulgar sexual accusations.

If he'd just been verbally abusive, an apology might have been enough, but the threat "I will destroy you" was beyond the pale. I don't care if he was "sorry" about that, the very fact that he went there means he's unfit for his position.

[pazzyanne]

18. Agree!!! nt

[AKing]

5. President Biden made it very clear that behavior like this would absolutely not be tolerated

[bottomofthehill]

11. He did and and TJ paid with his job

The President set a standard and it was not met. If someone was trying to create the impression that the woman I love was whoring herself out for stories, the woman who was helping me through stage 4 lung cancer ( BTW, he has a roughly 5/10 year survivability rate for his age) I might go off the deep end too.

Unlike President Trump, he did not meet the standard, he does not have a job, and there is no mulligan for him.

Justice, maybe , but more like tough love.

[George II]

6. The man has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Give him a break, please!

[Hoyt]

9. That's what I think too. That's a lot to handle while smiling at paparazzi.

He needed to resign, but the bashing should stop.

[More_Cowbell]

10. No.

Biden didn't draw universal praise for creating a "culture of respect unless you have cancer" policy.

[George II]

12. Ever been around anyone with terminal cancer? I doubt you have.

[More_Cowbell]

13. I have, while my father was dying of lung cancer.

Ducklo was not just any employee being ambushed by a aggressive reporter.

-- He was paid to be the deputy press secretary, *responsible* for dealing with the press.

--He was a deputy press secretary having a relationship with a journalist. This is newsworthy.

--Although the male reporter who was also assigned to this story was the one who contacted Ducklo, Ducklo chose to call, and threaten, and use vile language only to the female reporter *who had not contacted him*. He claimed that she was working on the story because she'd been rejected by a man who had chosen Ducklo's girlfriend over her. This reporter was assigned to this story -- she didn't choose it.

His misogynistic, unprofessional attack made it impossible for him to remain in his position.

[George II]

14. His "misogynistic, unprofessional attack" was instigated by a unprofessional attack....

....by a jealous reporter. He apologized, and decided that his personal life and issues were more important than his job.

We should all pray for him, not condemn him.

[More_Cowbell]

15. HE says she was jealous.

I haven't condemned him. Just agreed that he needed to resign.

She didn't attack him. Her male partner contacted him for the story.

I'll save my sympathy for the innocent party, and take advantage of DU's handy "ignore" function.

[Boomer]

19. It was abuse of power

This wasn't just a matter of losing his temper and cussing someone out. He stated "I will destroy you." That was a threat.

That he couldn't handle this emotional pressure, despite working in a brand new administration that has hardly been road-tested yet, means he's really not cut out for this job. Recognizing that he needs to do something else isn't "condemning".

[marble falls]

23. +1. I understand his problems can't interfere with the funtion of his job, he has conditions ...

... that help explain the outburst while not exculpating him. He was not a Trumpinion, he does deserve some understanding and prayers.

[marble falls]

24. And yet having cancer myself, I understand him differently. He needed to leave the ...

... the job, but he doesn't need the abuse, too.

[TexasBushwhacker]

20. Actually, their relationship got covered by People magazine instead

[cstanleytech]

21. If this had been someone on Trumps staff Trump would have nominated him for SCOTUS and

every single Republican would have voted yes.

[Texin]

25. And this is "news" why?

Seriously. This is the kind of back bench bullshit that goes on in any business (or middle school or high school) all around this country. Since when did it become a no-go for journalists to have relationships with other journalists (or anyone else for that matter) and have another journalist air it as "news"?

I agree that Ducklo's comments were irresponsible and he should have been disciplined for them, or even sacked for them, but why was CNN even "reporting" on this? WTF cares who someone is involved with? Unless it involves a very outspoken so-called married evangelical *christian* politician having an affair with the pool boy or an intern, why would any news organization even be spending time on this? This is the stuff that is best aired in People magazine or US or The National Enquirer, but on CNN FFS? Puhleeze.

[DeminPennswoods]

27. Because it's a "gotcha"

Otherwise, it's not news at all.

[DeminPennswoods]

26. The editor of Politico was just on

Reliable Sources with Brian Seltzer discussing this. She was defending her publication's reporting by blaming Biden for not living up to his commitment to "fire on the spot" anyone who was impolite to anyone outside the WH. She went on, but that was the gist of it.

It just illustrates the "gotcha" game that has gone on for decades now among the WH press. There seems to be little interest in covering actual policy. It's the same with the American Restoration bill. All the questions are about "when will or why don't Rs sign on because Biden promised unity", none about what's in the bill or how it will work or affect different aspects of American's lives.

[Texin]

28. Biden's comments about sacking anyone he heard demeaning another colleague

were made in the context of him having personally heard such comments himself. He didn't say he'd sack someone on the basis of second-hand hearsay. Anyone can make something up about another person or take a comment out of context, pass it on in the form of back-biting gossip and get someone in the dog house for it.

[DeminPennswoods]

29. True as that may be, that's not how Politco, at least, interpreted

what Biden said.