Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here| Email Eli | Email Lauren When ANTHONY FAUCI announced his retirement last summer, a raft of stories followed – no surprise given his prominent public role during the Covid-19 pandemic and 38 years of government service. Same thing with JEN PSAKI, the Biden administration’s first press secretary, when she announced plans last year to leave the White House for an MSNBC gig. But there have also been a run of one-off stories about younger, lesser known officials as they’ve left the administration — stories often pitched by the White House press shop that happen to be about individuals who worked in the White House press shop. CNN, which has run several of these stories in recent months, broke the news last month about the departure of KEVIN MUÑOZ, the 27-year-old assistant White House press secretary tasked with addressing Covid-19. A few days earlier, the network reported that REMI YAMAMOTO, a senior communications adviser to former chief of staff RON KLAIN who handled press for a number of senior officials, was also leaving. A couple weeks later, CNN scooped that SALONI SHARMA, a spokesperson for the national security council, would be filling Yamamoto’s old role as the top press liaison for chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS and other senior aides. CNN isn’t the only outlet running this genre of items. POLITICO, Axios and others have done their share. Nor are these departure stories unique to the Biden White House. But they have caused some internal tension, raising the hackles of several administration officials, including some in high-ranking positions, who don’t understand why others haven’t received the same coverage and gotten the pre-packed, on-the-record praise. Take Muñoz, who Fauci hailed as a “very, very nice guy” and Biden senior adviser JULIE RODRIGUEZ credited for being “someone that understands the need to reach all communities.” Or Sharma, who national security adviser JAKE SULLIVAN called “a hidden national treasure.” Yamamoto, an original member of Biden’s campaign, merited statements from senior adviser MIKE DONILON and the president, who described her as “unflinchingly loyal and extraordinarily capable.” Although these stories have induced many an eye roll from those outside of the press shop, few felt heartbroken for not getting their own flattering CNN.com send-off piece, one former administration official said. When staffers across the administration depart, few go out of their way to try and land themselves a departure story (although many have been known to send their news to one of our colleagues). “No one is running these down,” the former official said. “By and large people leave and they’re like, ‘Ok, I’m gone.’” But many have noticed, the former official said, that while early-career press staffers will get a write up, senior-level officials who wield far more power within the administration do not. For instance, there was no coverage — aside from a mention in this newsletter — following the departure of CHIRAAG BAINS, who just left his job as deputy director of the Domestic Policy Council and deputy assistant to the president for racial justice and equity. Neither PATRICK RODENBUSH, a former special assistant to the president and senior adviser to the domestic policy council, and ALEX YUDELSON, the council's executive secretary, received media coverage upon departing. But the promotion of LEE SLATER and ASHLEY JONES within the Office of Legislative Affairs was covered by Bloomberg last month. And the resignation of one of the administration’s most prominent Black officials, former deputy director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs GABE AMO, drew stories from the Boston Globe last week and Washington Post on Monday — both focused on his likely run for Congress. The White House didn't pitch the piece, but when contacted by the Post’s MICHAEL SCHERER, provided a quote. “Very often these stories result from reporters learning through their own sourcing about personnel changes, then their news organization decides if and how they want to cover them, and approach the White House,” one White House official said. “At that point we decide how to engage about something that is going to be covered regardless.” While the broader trends may reflect a clear distinction between a seasoned D.C. jadedness and a youthful infatuation with the politics and the celebrity of it, a current administration official dismissed any larger grumbling about these stories. The discrepancy, the person said, makes sense because it’s the press office that has relationships with the press and the stories are largely inconsequential. “Folks can say what they want, but they put in a lot of work — more than a lot of other people who want press and don't get it,” said another administration official, who works in communications and defended the press shop. “The folks who are griping and complaining, the comms team is first in and last to leave.” MESSAGE US — Are you CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR DAVID CHALIAN? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
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