Remember when Joe Biden promised to take swift, decisive action against any member of his administration he heard treating a colleague with disrespect or talking down to someone?
Biden 3 weeks ago: "If you’re ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot, on the spot. No if, ands, or buts. Everybody — everybody is entitled to be treated with decency & dignity." pic.twitter.com/0QDHnyU3Jo
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 12, 2021
Inquiring minds wanted to know: how would Team Biden handle the revelations about Deputy Press Secretary T.J. Ducklo’s alleged threats against and sexual harassment of reporter Tara Palmieri?
Well, apparently, they’d handle it a little something like this:
TJ 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.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021
In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021
Wow. You made him send a personal note to Tara Palmieri? Harsh.
As is this:
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.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021
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That’ll teach him a lesson!
this White House has known about this since January. https://t.co/rGDlOIvcDY
— tsar becket adams (@BecketAdams) February 12, 2021
And what did the president say he'd do to anybody who fell short of that standard? It was only three weeks ago. https://t.co/gnoWqp6Z0u
— I got your #Unity right here (@jtLOL) February 12, 2021
This teaches us a lesson, too: that when Joe Biden says he won’t tolerate conduct like T.J. Ducklo’s, he’ll actually tolerate conduct like T.J. Ducklo’s.
Let me get this straight: Ducklo went on a sexist tirade and violently threatened @tarapalmeri for doing her job, and the White House's response is to give him a slap on the wrist. https://t.co/ADpp7bSf1K
— Tiana Approve AstraZeneca (@TianaTheFirst) February 12, 2021
So much for firing Ducklo on the spot, huh?
And let's be clear. What Ducklo did absolutely constituted gross workplace sexual harassment. Maybe the first woman Vice President wants to step in here and say sexual harassment (much less threatening a reporter!) is unacceptable
— Tiana Approve AstraZeneca (@TianaTheFirst) February 12, 2021
Apparently it’s not as unacceptable as we were led to believe.
I’m sorry, but Biden set the tone in his speech and we all saw it. Biden voter and fan here, but the media isn’t an enemy. This should have been handled sooner.
— Trey (@realtreyscott) February 12, 2021
The WH backtracks on Biden's promise to fire disrespectful members of his administration "on the spot."
Instead of firing him and hiring more female diversity to fight misogyny in his ranks, he's simply suspending him. This is what privilege looks like. https://t.co/e9RmKAUjby
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) February 12, 2021
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Update:
Psaki begins the briefing by claiming that the briefing was delayed (twice) by an hour because the officials with her were meeting with the president, rather than because the White House is dealing with the PR crisis of an official attacking a reporter.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 12, 2021
Huh.