Josh Earnest
| Josh Earnest | |
|---|---|
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| 30th White House Press Secretary | |
| Assumed office June 20, 2014 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Eric Schultz |
| Preceded by | Jay Carney |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest January 22, 1975 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Natalie Wyeth (2012–present) |
| Alma mater | Rice University |
Joshua Ryan Henry "Josh" Earnest[1] (born January 22, 1975)[2] is the current and 30th overall White House Press Secretary.
On May 30, 2014, President Obama announced that Josh Earnest would replace Jay Carney as the White House Press Secretary.[3]
Early years
Earnest was born in Kansas City, Missouri, the son of Jeanne M., a psychologist, and Donald H. Earnest, an athletic director. He attended The Barstow School, a private secondary school, on a scholarship. He also played baseball and basketball.
Earnest graduated from Rice University in 1997 with a degree in Political Science and Policy Studies.[4]
Career
Immediately following college, he worked in the 1997 Houston Mayoral Election for Lee Brown.[5] Earnest served as a congressional aide to U.S. Congressman Marion Berry from 2002-2003 after working on Michael Bloomberg's first campaign for mayor of New York City. After working on Capitol Hill, Earnest worked for the Democratic National Committee from 2003-2006 under both Chairman Terry McAuliffe and Chairman Howard Dean. Earnest was Communications Director on Jim Davis' campaign for Governor of Florida in 2006. Earnest moved to Iowa in December 2006 to serve as National Communications Director for then-Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's presidential campaign. He then joined Senator Obama's presidential campaign in March 2007 as Obama's Iowa Communications Director. After Obama's Iowa caucus victory, Earnest worked as a top communications aide in several primary contests including South Carolina, Texas and Pennsylvania. During the 2008 general election, Earnest served as the campaign's Deputy Communication Director. After Obama was elected President, Earnest moved to Washington, DC and served as the Communications Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Earnest started at the White House on President Obama's first full day in office, January 21, 2009 as Deputy Press Secretary under Robert Gibbs. Later, Earnest was promoted and served as Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary and Chief of Staff to Jay Carney, occasionally filling in during press briefings. Earnest is the voice of West Wing Week, an online video series produced by the White House that chronicles the President's activities each week.
Earnest is considered a passionate defender of President Obama but also someone who will advocate for more press access and the smoother flow of information. He is respected and well-liked by White House colleagues and journalists alike.[6] In an annual survey conducted by the Politico Magazine in April 2015, he was voted the most helpful press official in the Obama administration and the best White House press secretary by nearly 70 journalists.[7]
Personal life
Earnest is married to Natalie Wyeth, a great-granddaughter of the late illustrator N. C. Wyeth, and a former veteran Treasury Department official.[1] They have a son named Walker who was born in 2014.[8] Earnest is an avid fan of the baseball team Kansas City Royals and has been using a Royals mug in press briefings since the baseball Opening Day 2015.[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/fashion/weddings/natalie-wyeth-joshua-earnest-weddings.html?_r=0
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External links
- Official website
- Josh Earnest on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
- Press Secretary on TwitterLua error in Module:WikidataCheck at line 28: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | White House Press Secretary 2014–present |
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