Joe Biden’s election as the 46th President of the United States has made history in many ways.
At the age of 78, Biden himself has become a historical first for America as the oldest president-elect. His second in command, Kamala Harris, has also become the first woman of black and Asian heritage to hold the role of Vice President. Alongside these historical victories, Biden has recruited the first all-female senior press team in American History; a monumental change. This is an interesting decision that will certainly distinguish Biden’s term in office further. I wonder, will this cause a shift in American politics? Will these women be able to move past Trump’s legacy of ‘fake news’?
“These women come from a variety of backgrounds and will offer a range of skills”
On the 29th November, shortly after he was elected, Biden announced that he would be having ‘the first senior white house communications team comprised entirely of women.’
Who are the women that comprise this historical team?
In total the team consists of seven women. The team will be led by Kate Bedingfield. She is a veteran of the White House, having worked with Biden when he was Vice President. Her previous experience makes her a powerful choice to lead this operation as she will no doubt provide excellent wisdom.
The other women in the team are Jen Psaki, Neera Tanden, Karine Jean-Pierre, Pili Tobar, Symone Sanders, Ashley Etienne and Elizabeth Alexander. They are all incredibly accomplished women. These women come from a variety of backgrounds and will offer a range of skills. I think it is significant that four of these women are of colour. It brings a long-awaited diversity to the white house, something which was absent during Trump’s term. Biden’s team is comprised of everyone from a lawyer to an LGBTQ+ activist. The wide range of perspectives and priorities that these women will bring to the White House promises a shift.
At first glance, this team are distinguishing the new administration from those before in many ways.
How does this compare to Trump’s team?
The previous President’s senior press team offered a very different approach. Although his senior press team contained a handful of women, it was far from the all-female press operative that Biden has installed. Trump has been berated for the lack of diversity in his staff. Biden however, has already distinguished his administration through his diverse representation of the entire American population.
“His dismissive and controlling approach to journalism reflected a dictatorship”
Trump’s legacy with the media
Throughout his term in office, Trump had an incredibly fractured relationship with many press outlets. He was notoriously known for claiming that uncomplimentary stories were ‘fake news’, a feature of his term that will remain a part of his legacy. Trump’s tumultuous relationship with the media led him to evade his own press team on many occasions and even attack journalists who challenged him directly. His dismissive and controlling approach to journalism reflected a dictatorship.
Trump attempted to control how the press wrote about him. Famously, he had a long-standing alliance with the television network Fox News. This was one media outlet that he did not brand as ‘fake news’. Trump and his press team popularised the term ‘fake news’ and, as a result, made it hard for the public to differentiate between the truth and manipulated stories.
Trump was not the only person guilty of this. Many of his senior press team also had a difficult relationship with press outlets in America. Former communications director, Hope Hicks was most notably involved in many scandals, including the investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election – the election, of course, which Trump won. It seemed from the outset that Hicks, along with other members of Trump’s team, were not trustworthy.
There’s no question that Trump’s press team appeared to have had a dangerous influence on politics within the US.
“Biden’s team offer a fresh perspective”
The promise of change
In contrast, Biden’s team offer a fresh perspective.
When announcing his team, Biden stated their intention would be to keep America ‘safe and secure’. I personally believe that this team will be able to achieve this.
Many of the women have close relationships with Washington Press outlets, bringing the promise of change. Hopefully, this will mean that the White House will be able to rebuild an amicable relationship with the media. The result of which will be the diminishment of the White House’s association with ‘fake news’ branding that Trump created.
These seven women have already made history in American politics. Their team distinguishes Biden’s administration further. I think that the instalment of this operative brings hope. The diversity and experience of the team will offer a range of opinions and I hope it will change the perception of the White House in the news for the best.
Eleanor Down
Featured image courtesy of Rom Matibag on Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.