White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo Resigns

White House deputy press secretary TJ Ducklo has resigned after threatening a Politico reporter who asked about his relationship with another reporter.

“We accepted the resignation of TJ Ducklo after a discussion with him this evening,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “This conversation occurred with the support of the White House chief of staff.”

Ducklo lashed out at Politico reporter Tara Palmeri while she was working on a story about his relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond. Vanity Fair ran an article on Friday detailing the incident. Ducklo, who objected to Palmeri’s piece, threatened to “destroy” her if it was published.

Shortly after the Vanity Fair piece ran, Ducklo was suspended for one week without pay. Some felt it was not enough.

Officials informed President Joe Biden of the situation on Saturday afternoon. According to CNN, he supports Ducklo’s decision to resign.

Ducklo released his own statement on Twitter, saying, “I know this is terrible. I know I can’t take it back. But I also know I can learn from it and do better.”

“This incident is not representative of who I am as a person, and I will be determined to earn back the trust of everyone I have let down…” he said.

My statement on resigning from the White House. pic.twitter.com/3Jpiiv75vB

— TJ Ducklo (@TDucklo) February 14, 2021