Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s chief of staff told The Tennessee Star she thinks it’s great that T.J. Ducklo, the Biden White House press secretary, fired for threatening a White House reporter with: “I will destroy you,” joined the mayor’s staff.
“T.J’s experience and energy will be a valuable addition to our team, and we are thrilled to have him on board,” said Chief of Staff Jennifer Rasmussen-Sagen.
The mayor’s office did not issue a press release, but in addition to the statement from Rasmussen-Sagen, Bradon Marshall, the mayor’s digital director, told The Star he was happy Ducklo was coming home.
“T.J. made a mistake, for which he apologized and paid the consequences. He’s good at what he does, and we are excited to have him back in Nashville,” he said.
Marshall also told The Star that Ducklo would have the full authority and discretion expected with his job.
“T.J. will serve in the full role of chief communications officer, including working with reporters,” he said.
Vanity Fair reported Feb. 12, 2021, that Ducklo had a direct and robust conversion with Politico reporter Tara Palmeri on Inauguration Day after she and another reporter reached out to him about his intimate relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond.
It was in that conversation that Palmeri wrote down that Ducklo told her: “I will destroy you,” which she then passed along to her editors.
After Vanity Fair posted its first report, White House Press Secretary Jennifer R. “Jenn” Psaki announced that Ducklo would take a one-week suspension later that day.
T.J. Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the President. In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret. With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one-week suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico.
Despite the attempt to save the job of the man, who was candidate Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s top campaign spokesman, Ducklo resigned the following evening.
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 when she was just doing her job. It was language that was abhorrent, disrespectful, and acceptable.
I am devastated to have embarrassed and disappointed my White House colleagues and President Biden, and discussion with White House communications leadership tonight, I have resigned my position and will not be returning from administrative leave.
I know this is terrible. I know I cannot 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 everybody I have let down because of my intolerable actions.
This is Ducklo’s Tweet announcing his resignation:
My statement on resigning from the White House. pic.twitter.com/3Jpiiv75vB
— TJ Ducklo (@TDucklo) February 14, 2021
Here are some replies from the Twitterverse:
If he had not been reported, would he have apologized on his own accord? It is abusive behavior and abusers often apologize and soon return to their normal, abusive routines
— ABC easy as 123 (@mzpritygurldrea) February 14, 2021
How come you don't have pronouns in your bio?
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) February 14, 2021
I really hate this.
It is so unfortunate the press decided to make your personal life one of their first orders of business in this admin.
You have the support of MANY who were with the President from the start.
You have fought tougher battles than this. Keep your head up.
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) February 14, 2021
In July, it was reported that Ducklo joined the New York City-based Risa Heller Communications. Heller was a senior staffer to Senate Majority Leader Charles E. “Chuck” Schumer (D.-N.Y.), and the firm specializes in crisis and reputation management.
McCammond left Axios after the controversy to become the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue in March 2021, but that job ended in July, after her old social media posts led to a newsroom and advertising mutiny.
– – –
Neil W. McCabe is the national political editor of The Star News Network based in Washington. He is an Army Reserve public affairs NCO and an Iraq War veteran. Send him news tips: [email protected]. Follow him on TruthSocial & GETTR: @ReporterMcCabe.
Photo “TJ Ducklo” by TJ Ducklo.
He should go well with the liberals in Metro Government! Nashville is a bubbling shithole!
He’ll work great with councilman Bob Mendes. (*Mendes called a sitting president a m***er f***er)
He is just the kind of person the liberal/socialist love to hire. Let’s pray WW III doesn’t start before we can effect regime change through our Constitutional process….as opposed to the cheating, lying, immoral, democrats who stole the 2020 presidential election and put Grandpa Simpson in office.
Just when one thinks Nashville government could not be worse…..