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Biden staffer resigns after threatening to 'destroy' reporter

WION Web Team
Washington, United StatesUpdated: Feb 14, 2021, 07:59 AM IST
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Photograph:(AFP)

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He was originally suspended for one week without pay, but the White House has now accepted his resignation, Jen Psaki said

It's been a few weeks since the Joe Biden took over the White House as the US President, and the administration has already had its first resignation.

On Saturday, the White House accepted the resignation of a staffer who has been alleged of threatening to "destroy" a reporter who was trying to ask questions about his personal life.

White House Deputy Spokesman TJ Ducklo, as per local reports, called a Politico reporter, Tara Palmeri, who was persistently asking questions about his past relationship with another reporter from Axios, Alexi McCammond.

Ducklo threatened Palmeri by saying "I will destroy you" in a phone call, moments after Joe Biden took his oath as the President of the US on January 20.

The local media house, Vanity Fair, alleged that Ducklo "made derogatory and misogynistic comments" towards Palmeri.

He was originally suspended for one week without pay, but the White House has now accepted his resignation, Jen Psaki, White House spokeswoman said.

"We are committed to striving every day to meet the standard set by the President in treating others with dignity and respect, with civility and with a value for others through our words and our actions," Psaki said.

Psaki also added that Ducklo has already personally called and apologised to the reporter. "No words can express my regret, my embarrassment, and my disgust for my behavior. I used language that no woman should ever have to hear from anyone, especially in a situation where she was just trying to do her job," Ducklo said. "It was language that was abhorrent, disrespectful and unacceptable."

He also regretted the action that led to embarrassing the Biden administration, he said he was "devastated to have embarrassed and disappointed my White House colleagues and President Biden."