White House communications director Kate Bedingfield to step down soon

Washington — White House communications director Kate Bedingfield plans to leave her role in the near future, a White House aide confirmed Thursday. 

Bedingfield has been key player in Mr. Biden's inner circle in recent years, having served as his communications director when he was vice president and as deputy campaign manager during his 2020 presidential run. The White House aide said Bedingfield is stepping aside to spend more time with her husband and young children. The Wall Street Journal first reported her impending departure. 

"Without Kate Bedingfield's talent and tenacity, Donald Trump might still be in the White House, the Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Law might still be unrealized goals, and Ketanji Brown Jackson might not be sitting on the Supreme Court," chief of staff Ron Klain said in a statement praising Bedingfield. "She has played a huge role in everything the president has achieved — from his second term as vice president, through the campaign, and since coming to the White House. Her strategic acumen, intense devotion to the President's agenda, and fierce work on his behalf are unmatched."

Klain said Bedingfield "will continue to remain a critical player in moving the Biden agenda forward from the outside."

Her exact date of departure is unclear. Bedingfield's exit comes not long after former White House press secretary Jen Psaki left her role, replaced by current White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. 

Administration officials in times of turnover often point out that the West Wing is a rewarding but stressful place to work, and leaving less than halfway through a president's term isn't uncommon.

In addition to Psaki, a number of young press aides have left the White House for other opportunities within the administration.