White House rapid response director departs for Treasury as Biden’s messaging operation transitions
By Phil Mattingly, CNN
President Joe Biden’s director of rapid response will soon depart the White House for the Treasury Department, becoming the latest West Wing aide to shift to a more senior role in another part of the administration.
Mike Gwin, an Ohio native who would inevitably end up in a key communications role in whatever the crisis or major policy issue facing Biden throughout the course of his first 16 months in office, will serve as the deputy assistant secretary for public affairs under Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
The subject matter will be familiar for Gwin, who operated as a member of the economic communications team focused on legislative efforts, the showdown over raising the debt limit and the confirmations of Biden’s key Federal Reserve nominees.
But Gwin, who White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called “an indispensable member of our team,” also ended up playing a key role on issues like gun violence and crime, law enforcement, the investigation into the January 6, 2021 insurrection and in working with the National Security Council team on the Russia invasion of Ukraine.
“His quiet talent, laser-focused approach, and eagerness to take on whatever challenge comes his way has made him a tremendous asset,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement to CNN.
An Iowa field organizer for former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, Gwin has cycled through Democratic politics and campaigns over the course of the last decade. He served as the deputy rapid response director on Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, before following Biden to the West Wing.
“Mike Gwin has been a backbone of our team for years, having worked tirelessly through the campaign, transition, and White House to communicate the President’s priorities with unflappable dedication and composure,” Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director, said.
Gwin becomes the latest in a series of communications and press aides to depart, as the White House messaging operation moves through a period of transition in advance of the critical months leading up to the November midterm elections.
Vedant Patel, an assistant press secretary, left this week to join the State Department. Amanda Finney, the chief of staff to the press office known throughout the West Wing as “the mayor” for her outsized presence — and portfolio — in a role traditionally defined by staffing the press secretary, will soon join the Energy Department. Other aides are expected to depart for positions inside the administration soon.
Finney’s former boss, Jen Psaki, became the highest profile departure of Biden’s senior level team, which has largely stayed intact since he entered office in January 2021.
“I have no doubt most of us will be working for Mike one day,” Psaki, who will soon join cable news network MSNBC as a host and analyst, said of Gwin.
The-CNN-Wire
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