White House Communications Director

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White House Communications Director
File:US-WhiteHouse-Logo.svg
Executive Office of the President
White House Office
Reports toWhite House Chief of Staff
AppointerPresident of the United States
Formation1969 (White House Office)
1974 (White House Office of the Press Secretary)
First holderHerbert G. Klein

The White House communications director or White House director of communications, also known officially as Assistant to the President for Communications, is part of the senior staff of the president of the United States. The officeholder is responsible for developing and promoting the agenda of the president and leading its media campaign.

The director, along with their staff, works on major political speeches such as the inaugural address and the State of the Union Address. The communications director, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the president, without the need for United States Senate confirmation, is usually given an office in the West Wing of the White House.

History

The White House Office of Communications was established by Herbert G. Klein in January 1969 during the Nixon administration.[1][2] It was separate from the Office of the Press Secretary from 1969 to 1974.[3]

Key staff

In November 2024, Steven Cheung was named White House Communications Director for the incoming Donald Trump administration.[5] Karoline Leavitt was named White House Press Secretary for the incoming administration.[6]

List of directors

Image Name Start End Duration President
File:No image.svg Herb Klein[7] January 20, 1969 July 1, 1973 4 years, 162 days Richard Nixon
File:No image.svg Ken Clawson January 30, 1974 August 9, 1974 191 days
August 9, 1974 November 4, 1974 87 days Gerald Ford
File:No image.svg Jerry Warren[8] November 4, 1974 August 15, 1975 284 days
File:Margita White, Assistant Deputy Director of Communications in the White House.jpg Margita White[9] August 15, 1975 July 12, 1976 332 days
File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped7).jpg David Gergen[10] July 12, 1976 January 20, 1977 192 days
File:Gerald Rafshoon.tif Gerald Rafshoon July 1, 1978 August 14, 1979 1 year, 44 days Jimmy Carter
File:No image.svg Frank Ursomarso[11][12] February 23, 1981 June 17, 1981 114 days Ronald Reagan
File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped7).jpg David Gergen[13] June 17, 1981 January 15, 1984 2 years, 212 days
File:Portraits of Assistants to President Ronald Reagan (cropped2).jpg Michael McManus[8] January 15, 1984 February 6, 1985 1 year, 22 days
File:Pat Buchanan 1985a (1).jpg Pat Buchanan February 6, 1985 March 1, 1987 2 years, 23 days
File:No image.svg Jack Koehler[14] March 1, 1987 March 13, 1987 11 days
File:Tom Griscom 1987.jpg Tom Griscom April 2, 1987 July 1, 1988 1 year, 90 days
File:Mari Maseng 1988.jpg Mari Maseng Will July 1, 1988 January 20, 1989 203 days
File:No image.svg David Demarest January 20, 1989 August 23, 1992 3 years, 216 days George H. W. Bush
File:Tutwilermd 175.jpg Margaret Tutwiler[15] August 23, 1992 January 20, 1993 150 days
File:George Stephanopoulos cropped.jpg George Stephanopoulos January 20, 1993 June 7, 1993 138 days Bill Clinton
File:Mark Gearan NCMNPS.jpg Mark Gearan[16] June 7, 1993 August 14, 1995 2 years, 68 days
File:No image.svg Don Baer August 14, 1995 July 31, 1997 1 year, 351 days
File:Ann Lewis (138) (13315485475).jpg Ann Lewis July 31, 1997 March 10, 1999 1 year, 222 days
File:No image.svg Loretta Ucelli March 10, 1999 January 20, 2001 1 year, 316 days
File:KarenHughes.jpg Karen Hughes January 20, 2001 October 2, 2001 255 days George W. Bush
File:Daniel Joseph Bartlett.jpg Dan Bartlett[17] October 2, 2001 January 5, 2005 3 years, 95 days
File:Nicolle Wallace (cropped).jpg Nicolle Wallace January 5, 2005 July 24, 2006 1 year, 200 days
File:Kevin Sullivan (18578730486) (cropped).jpg Kevin Sullivan July 24, 2006 January 20, 2009 2 years, 180 days
File:No image.svg Ellen Moran January 20, 2009 April 21, 2009 91 days Barack Obama
File:Anita Dunn.jpg Anita Dunn
Acting 		April 21, 2009 November 30, 2009 223 days
File:Daniel Pfeiffer.jpg Dan Pfeiffer November 30, 2009 January 25, 2013 3 years, 56 days
File:Jennifer Palmieri, Aug. 2013 (cropped).jpg Jen Palmieri January 25, 2013 April 1, 2015 2 years, 66 days
File:Jen Psaki April 1 2015 (cropped).jpg Jen Psaki April 1, 2015 January 20, 2017 1 year, 294 days
File:Press secretary Sean Spicer (cropped).jpg Sean Spicer
Acting 		January 20, 2017 March 6, 2017 45 days Donald Trump
File:Michael D. Dubke.jpg Michael Dubke[18][19] March 6, 2017 June 2, 2017 88 days
File:Press secretary Sean Spicer (cropped).jpg Sean Spicer
Acting[19][20] 		June 2, 2017[21][22] July 21, 2017[23] 49 days
File:Anthony Scaramucci at SALT Conference 2016 (cropped).jpg Anthony Scaramucci[24] July 21, 2017[25] July 31, 2017[26][27] 11 days
File:Hope Hicks November 2017.jpg Hope Hicks[28][29] August 16, 2017
Acting: August 16 – September 12, 2017 		March 29, 2018[30] 225 days
File:Bill Shine (cropped).jpg Bill Shine[31] July 5, 2018 March 8, 2019 246 days
File:Stephanie Grisham.jpg Stephanie Grisham[32] July 1, 2019 April 7, 2020 281 days
File:Kate Bedingfield (The Circus on SHOWTIME).jpg Kate Bedingfield[33][34] January 20, 2021 March 1, 2023 2 years, 40 days Joe Biden
File:Ben Labolt Bully Pulpit Portrait.webp Ben LaBolt[13] March 1, 2023 Present 2 years, 12 days

References

  1. ↑ "White House Unit Takes on New Life", The Washington Post, November 26, 1973, p. 9.
  2. ↑ Judiciary, United States Congress House Committee on the (1973) (in en). Impeachment: Selected Materials. Government Printing Office. ISBN 9780160577031. https://books.google.com/books?id=F1ucgs8wa9YC&q=Herbert+G.+Klein+in+1969+white+house+communications&pg=PA34. 
  3. ↑ "Press Operations in White House Revised, With Politics Ruled Out", The New York Times, August 17, 1974, p. 15.
  4. ↑ Monica Alba (August 16, 2024). "White House plans staff moves as aides switch to Harris campaign". NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/white-house-plans-staff-moves-aides-switch-harris-campaign-rcna166906. 
  5. ↑ McGraw, Meridith; Bade, Rachael (15 November 2024). "Trump to tap campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung as communications director". POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/news/2024/11/15/trump-transition-steven-cheung-communications-director-00189857. 
  6. ↑ Moore, Elena (15 November 2024). "Trump picks Karoline Leavitt to be youngest White House press secretary in history". NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/11/15/g-s1-34514/trump-karoline-leavitt-press-secretary-white-house-spokesperson. 
  7. ↑ "Richard Nixon: Letter Accepting the Resignation of Herbert G. Klein as Director of Communications for the Executive Branch.". http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=3864. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Kumar, Martha Joynt (July 6, 2007). Managing the President's Message: The White House Communications Operation. JHU Press. ISBN 9780801886522. https://books.google.com/books?id=1AMDcjxuok4C. 
  9. ↑ Shabecoff, Philip (July 13, 1976). "Ford Shifts and Expands Press Staff". https://www.nytimes.com/1976/07/13/archives/ford-shifts-and-expands-press-staff.html. 
  10. ↑ "Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum". https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/guides/findingaid/gergendfiles.asp. 
  11. ↑ "URSOMARSO, FRANK: Files, 1981 (3.1 l.ft.; Box 1-8)". https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/textual/smof/ursomarso.pdf. 
  12. ↑ "Ronald Reagan: Appointment of Frank A. Ursomarso as Director of the White House Office of Communications". http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=43600. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Key Reagan Administration Officials". http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/reference/keyofficials.html. 
  14. ↑ "Letter Accepting the Resignation of John O. Koehler as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications". https://reaganlibrary.archives.gov/archives/speeches/1987/030987c.htm. 
  15. ↑ Appointment of Margaret DeBardeleben Tutwiler as Assistant to the President for Communications, gpo.gov.
  16. ↑ "William J. Clinton: Press Briefing by David Gergen and Mark Gearan". http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=60004. 
  17. ↑ "George W. Bush: Statement by the Press Secretary: Bartlett Named White House Communications Director". http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=79123. 
  18. ↑ "President Donald J. Trump Announces White House Staff Appointments", whitehouse.gov, March 6, 2017.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicer". The New Zealand Herald. June 6, 2017. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11870660. 
  20. ↑ The White House (July 21, 2017), Press Briefing with Principal Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-oM21Td-JE, retrieved July 21, 2017 
  21. ↑ Herman, Steve (July 21, 2017). "Shakeup Puts Different Face on White House Communications" (in en). VOA. https://www.voanews.com/a/shakeup-puts-different-face-on-white-house-communications/3954273.html. 
  22. ↑ "Mysterious disappearance of Donald Trump's mouthpiece Sean Spicer" (in en-NZ). NZ Herald. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11870660. 
  23. ↑ Shen, Lucinda (July 21, 2017). "Anthony Scaramucci Thinks the White House Is About to Have a 'Phenomenal Relationship' With the Press". Fortune. http://fortune.com/2017/07/21/anthony-scaramucci-trump-white-house-communications-director. 
  24. ↑ Shear, Michael D.; Thrush, Glenn; Haberman, Maggie (July 31, 2017). "John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci". The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/us/politics/anthony-scaramucci-white-house.html. 
  25. ↑ Santos, Amanda Proença (July 31, 2017). "Scaramucci Sets New Record for Shortest Term as Communications Director". NBC News. http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/scaramucci-sets-new-record-shortest-term-communications-director-n788281. "Though President Donald Trump appointed Scaramucci to the role 10 days ago, he only held the position for six days thanks to an official start date of July 25." 
  26. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2088: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  27. ↑ "Anthony Scaramucci: Five top tips to lose a job in 10 days". BBC News. 1 August 2017. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40788535. "Anthony Scaramucci had not yet made it to his official start date before he was fired" 
  28. ↑ "Hope Hicks tapped for interim White House communications director". Fox News. August 16, 2017. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hope-hicks-tapped-for-interim-white-house-communications-director. 
  29. ↑ Ballhaus, Rebecca (2017-09-12). "Hope Hicks Named Permanent White House Communications Director" (in en-US). The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. https://www.wsj.com/articles/hope-hicks-named-white-house-communications-director-after-assuming-role-on-interim-basis-1505231198. 
  30. ↑ Rogers, Katie; Haberman, Maggie (2018-03-29). "Hope Hicks is Gone, and It's Not Clear Who Can Replace Her" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/us/politics/hope-hicks-white-house.html. 
  31. ↑ "Ex-Fox News exec Bill Shine to join White House". The Hill. July 5, 2018. https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/395627-trump-announces-ex-fox-news-exec-bill-shine-will-join-white-house/. 
  32. ↑ Wise, Alana (April 7, 2020). "White House Press Secretary Grisham Moves Back To First Lady's Office" (in en). NPR. https://www.npr.org/2020/04/07/828134122/white-house-press-secretary-grisham-moves-back-to-first-ladys-office. 
  33. ↑ "Kate Bedingfield, White House Communications Director" (in en-US). https://buildbackbetter.gov/nominees-and-appointees/kate-bedingfield. 
  34. ↑ "Kate Bedingfield to Depart the White House after over 3 Years Leading the President's Communications Operation". July 6, 2022. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/06/kate-bedingfield-to-depart-the-white-house-after-over-3-years-leading-the-presidents-communications-operation. 

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