White House principal deputy communications director Kate Berner told her colleagues she intends to depart the administration in the coming weeks, staffers confirmed Monday.
Berner is a longtime Biden staffer who worked on his 2020 presidential campaign and served in the administration since the president assumed office. She initially served as deputy communications director before being promoted to her current role last year.
She was a key player in passing the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by President Biden in 2021, according to Axios.
She is the latest of several Biden staffers who have exited the White House. Former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain announced his departure in January, and former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh resigned in February to lead the National Hockey League’s Players Association.
White House staffers sentimentally praised Berner in several tweets Monday.
“.@KateBerner46 has been at the center of@POTUS‘ communications operation for 4+ years doing hard work you don’t always see — distilling complex policy processes, making sure the news we share is clear and factual and managing a cross functional team. She’ll be greatly missed!” White House communications director Ben LaBolt said.
.@KateBerner46 has been at the center of @POTUS‘ communications operation for 4+ years doing hard work you don’t always see — distilling complex policy processes, making sure the news we share is clear and factual and managing a cross functional team. She’ll be greatly missed! https://t.co/dW4UvKKUug
— Ben LaBolt (@WHCommsDir) May 15, 2023
“Berner is the best of the best and no one deserves some rest and recharge more than her. She has served this White House and her country with distinction and I hope that any foxhole I’m in at any point in the future includes Kate Berner,” former White House communications director Kate Bedingfield wrote. (RELATED: Three More Staffers Ditch Biden In One Week)
Berner is the best of the best and no one deserves some rest and recharge more than her. She has served this White House and her country with distinction and I hope that any foxhole I’m in at any point in the future includes Kate Berner. https://t.co/WWwIElBusr
— Kate Bedingfield (@KBeds) May 15, 2023
“Big loss for the WH: @KateBerner46 is brilliant, hard working, understands policy and comms, a huge talent. She will be missed,” former White House chief of staff Ron Klain wrote.
Big loss for the WH: @KateBerner46 is brilliant, hard working, understands policy and comms, a huge talent. She will be missed. https://t.co/8mDrHQJlJf
— Ronald Klain (@RonaldKlain) May 15, 2023
She is one of the last members of the communications team that worked on the president’s campaign, Axios reported. The majority of Biden’s original campaign staffers later worked on the communications team, most notably Bedingfield, who left the White House in February.