White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki reportedly has plans to leave her current position and take a job hosting a show on MSNBC in the near future. Former White House press secretaries frequently acquire TV jobs when they leave the position. Psaki is expected to make the move at some point in the coming months, raising speculation about who her most likely successor could be as well as criticism of her arranging a TV deal in advance.
Psaki heading to TV
Psaki had reportedly been in talks with both CNN and MSNBC before settling on the latter of the two liberal networks. Nothing official has been announced yet.
Some Democrats expressed disappointment with the fact that Psaki was in negotiations for a lucrative TV job even before leaving the White House.
The press secretary was asked about potential ethics conflicts but insisted that she is obeying all applicable rules in her hunt for a new job, though she still declined to say that this job exists.
A few Democrats who criticized White House press secretaries under the Trump administration for leaving to take readily available jobs at Fox News still argued that there is an issue.
Without leaving her current role as the voice of the White House Psaki has been in negotiations to have a network deal ready as soon as she leaves her post.
It might be technically allowed under government ethics rules, but the seamless transition from press secretary to MSNBC host still raises concerns for some.
Biden needs a new press secretary
Other than her having a new job lined up in advance, Psaki leaving the White House is not especially noteworthy given the position she currently occupies.
White House press secretaries tend to have a short shelf life and Psaki has lasted longer than many of her predecessors in previous administrations.
The post is a stressful one under any president and it is generally expected that an administration will go through multiple press secretaries before a four year term comes to an end.
In addition to a talent for evading questions that is required for the job, Psaki has been forced to frequently “clarify” remarks made by President Biden without prior approval from his staff.
Aside from this, she has generally managed to dodge major controversies almost as well as she has dodged having to provide answers to difficult questions.
Her time in the post hasn’t been especially memorable but both MSNBC and CNN must have felt that she would make a profitable network personality. If anyone is still watching MSNBC they may be finding out if she has any talent for the new role very soon.
