Jill Biden press secretary leaving White House for private sector

First lady Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael LaRosa is departing the White House for a job in the private sector, he confirmed in an email to The Hill on Tuesday.  

LaRosa, who has served as Biden’s spokesman since the 2020 presidential campaign, said he would be joining the public affairs firm Hamilton Place Strategies. His last day is Friday.  

In a lengthy statement announcing his departure, LaRosa thanked the first lady and called his service in the White House “the proudest and most rewarding experience” of his life.  

“I am forever grateful to her for taking a chance on me nearly three years ago, bringing me on this journey with her around the country, and the privilege of being a small part of the history that she and President Biden made,” LaRosa said. 

“From long drives in minivans, jumping on and off planes, and ‘No Malarkey’ busses on the campaign to traveling to 10 countries, nearly 40 states, and over 75 cities in the first year and a half of the Biden-Harris Administration, I am now moving on to a new adventure,” he added.

LaRosa’s exit was first reported by CNN on Tuesday. He first started working for Biden in 2019 and joined the White House immediately following the presidential transition.  

It was not immediately clear who would replace LaRosa in the East Wing. 

His exit follows a handful of other departures of White House communications officials from the West Wing, including White House communications director Kate Bedingfield.  

It’s not unusual for White House officials to depart after a year of service, but the churn has raised questions about who will fill the vacancies at a critical point about three months from the November midterm elections. Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, has been rumored as a possible replacement for Bedingfield.  

Biden has been an active first lady, embarking on a handful of foreign trips including a surprise stop in Ukraine to meet with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska. Biden, who is a community college teacher, also recently launched a summer school tour alongside Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.  

The first lady weathered controversy in recent weeks after she faced blowback for likening the diversity of the Latino community to “breakfast tacos.” Her office apologized after the speech was met with some angry statements.