Top White House communications aide to depart

A top White House communications official is planning to leave her role in the coming weeks, administration officials confirmed Monday, as President Biden and his team prepare for the 2024 campaign.

Kate Berner, a longtime Biden aide, is departing as principal deputy communications director. Her exit comes a few weeks after Biden made his plans to run for reelection official.

“.@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 tweeted.

Berner worked on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and joined the White House upon Biden’s swearing in. She served first as deputy communications director before being promoted last summer to principal deputy communications director.

She was one of a few remaining aides in the White House press shop who had worked on the 2020 campaign, along with deputy press secretary Andrew Bates.

Biden allies were quick to praise Berner.

“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 tweeted.

The White House did not say whether Berner would be transitioning over to Biden’s campaign. Former White House deputy press secretary Kevin Munoz is serving as the campaign press secretary, and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, a White House official, is expected to shift over to work as the campaign manager in the coming days.

Axios first reported on Berner’s expected departure.