Politics Joe Biden names all-women White House communications team led by Jen Psaki as press secretary

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday named his White House senior communications staff, choosing a team of all women led by Jen Psaki, a veteran of President Barack Obama's administration, as his first press secretary.

Psaki, who wore many hats under Obama including White House communications director, has overseen the confirmations team for Biden's transition team.

Biden also tapped top campaign aides Kate Bedingfield as White House communications director and Symone Sanders as senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris. Bedingfield worked as deputy campaign manager and communications director for the Biden-Harris Campaign. Sanders served as a campaign senior advisor.

'We are a nation of laws, not tweets': Republican Sens. Romney and Sasse decry Trump efforts to challenge election

"It is difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American President," Romney said of Trump's contacts with local officials."Having failed to make even a plausible case of widespread fraud or conspiracy before any court of law, the President has now resorted to overt pressure on state and local officials to subvert the will of the people and overturn the election," said Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, in a tweet.

Joe Biden is nominating one of the leading architects of the Paris climate agreement as his climate envoy. Alejandro Mayorkas was the first Latino nominated to serve as secretary of homeland security. He previously served as deputy secretary of homeland security under President Obama.

Jennifer Psaki will be White House press secretary of US President-elect Joe Biden , journalists from leading US media outlets, making part of Biden ’s press pool, reported on Sunday. Kate Bedingfield will be White House communications director.

© Charles Dharapak, AP Jen Psaki is seen Feb. 16, 2011, in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. She served as communications director during the final two years of President Barack Obama's term and previously as spokeswoman for the State Department.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Other communications hires are: Elizabeth Alexander, communications director for first lady Jill Biden; Ashley Etienne, communications director for Harris; Karine Jean-Pierre, principal deputy press secretary; and Pili Tobar, deputy White House communications director.

The announcements come as Biden continues to build his Cabinet and White House staff, led by Chief of Staff Ron Klain while President Donald Trump refuses to concede the election that Biden won.

Election 2020 updates: Ben Carson was 'desperately ill' from coronavirus; Trump Jr. uses COVID isolation to clean guns

Sen. Blackburn's staff says she 'misspoke' when she called Biden presdident-elect; Trump Jr., feeling well; Gov. Cuomo to get Emmy – election updates.Be sure to refresh this page often to get the latest information on the election and the transition.

President-elect Joe Biden is set to announce who will serve in top roles in his administration in the He named Antony Blinken as his choice for secretary of state, Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, a co-chair of Biden 's transition team and presidential campaign, will

Joe Biden . 6,605,277 likes · 1,612,505 talking about this. Senator, Vice President, 2020 candidate for President of the United States, husband to Jill This is the moment where we need to steel our spines, redouble our efforts, and recommit ourselves to the fight against COVID-19. We are all in this

"Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a President, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House," Biden said in a statement. "I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women. These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better."

More: Ron Klain named Biden's chief of staff, first White House official picked for administration

As press secretary, Psaki will become the public face of the Biden administration, a role that Kayleigh McEnany holds in Trump's administration.

"I grew up through the hard fought battles of winning back the House, winning presidential campaigns and fighting for the Obama-Biden agenda with @KBeds and looking forward to the journey ahead," Psaki said Sunday in a tweet.

Fact check: Some inauguration prep is underway, but a viral photo of it is actually from 1993.

A photo purports to show preparations for Joe Biden's inauguration. But, it's actually from Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993.Dump Trump — a page on Facebook that opposes President Donald Trump — posted a photo that purports to show preparations for the day occurring on the lawn behind the White House on Nov. 21.

Joseph R. Biden Jr. was elected the 46th president of the United States on Nov. 7. See full results and maps from the 2020 presidential election. Biden is the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Georgia since Bill Clinton in 1992. Even as a recount begins in the state, Biden leads by more than

Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his running mate, making the California senator the first Black and South Asian Photos: Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Harris presses Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. Harris and Biden sign paperwork to officially get on the ballot in all 50 states.

We can’t wait to share what we are thinking as we get closer to inauguration, but @K_JeanPierre and I spoke just this am about taking the next few weeks to think outside of the box about how to ensure we are making the Biden-Harris agenda more accessible from the podium.

— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) November 29, 2020

Psaki served as communications director for Obama during his final two years in office. She was earlier a spokeswoman for the State Department, handling daily briefings with the international press.

More: President-elect Biden seeks a diverse Cabinet. Here's who will join his administration and who might be top contenders

As communications director from 2015 to 2017, Psaki reorganized the White House approach to media with more attention for non-traditional and online outlets. She previously had served as senior communications adviser and traveling press secretary for Obama during his reelection campaign.

From 2013 to 2015, Psaki served as the primary spokeswoman for the State Department, traveling 600,000 miles to more than 50 countries with Secretary John Kerry.

Fact check: False claim that George Soros arrested for election-related crimes

Claims that George Soros has been arrested are false. They were based on a doctored version of an indictment brought against six hackers in October.Some claimed false associations between Soros and Moderna, one of the companies working to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Others baselessly claimed  he helped to finance and transport protesters to Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

She earlier served as deputy White House communications director during Obama’s first term, coordinating and implementing the public response of the government to the financial crisis. She worked with Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and key senior cabinet officials throughout the administration.

© Andrew Harnik, AP President-elect Joe Biden, accompanied by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, speaks at The Queen theater, Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, in Wilmington, Delaware.

She has also worked on many national and state political campaigns. She was traveling press secretary for Obama’s first campaign, communications director for former Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., and Midwest and Northwest regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Bedingfield, the new White House communications director, said she is "unspeakably proud to have the opportunity to serve as White House communications director."

"Working for him as VP and on this campaign gave me insight into what kind of capable, compassionate, clear-eyed president he will be," she said in tweet.

Etienne, the new communications director for the vice president, previously served as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's communications director and a senior advisor. Pelosi said Harris has "chosen seasoned communicator" in a statement

Live politics updates: Neera Tanden, Biden's expected pick for budget chief, draws fire from left and right

Conservatives and liberals decry Neera Tanden, Joe Biden's reported pick for budget chief; Trump wishes Biden well after fracture – updates.President Donald Trump has cleared the way for Biden's team to use federal resources and get briefings during the transition, although Trump has yet to formally concede the race.

"Her experience working on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue and the immense respect she commands among both members and staff will make her a powerful force in the Biden-Harris Administration, Pelosi said.

More on the appointments:

Elizabeth Alexander

Communications director for the first lady

Alexander served as a senior adviser on the Biden-Harris Campaign. She spent the first years of the Obama-Biden administration as the Press Secretary to Vice President Biden after serving as  then-Sen. Biden’s Communications Director on Capitol Hill.

Kate Bedingfield

White House communications director

Bedingfield served as deputy campaign manager and communications director for the Biden-Harris Campaign. She served as communications director for Biden when he was vice president and as associate communications director, deputy director of media affairs, and the director of response in the Obama-Biden White House. Before joining the Biden White House, Bedingfield served as communications director to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., on her successful 2008 Senate campaign along with other roles on Democratic campaigns.

Ashley Etienne

Communications director for the vice president

Etienne served as a senior adviser on the Biden-Harris campaign. Previously, Etienne served as communications director and senior adviser to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She was the first woman and person of color to hold the position. Etienne was special assistant to the president and director of communications for the Cabinet in the Obama-Biden administration and also led communications on President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative.

Biden set to announce his economic team led by Janet Yellen, who face a dark winter outlook, split Congress

President-elect Joe Biden is set to announce his economic team Tuesday. What proposals can they push through a split Congress?Analysts expect stiff resistance from a split Congress whose Republicans are reluctant to further swell the massive deficit.

Karine Jean-Pierre

Principal deputy press secretary

Jean-Pierre served as a senior adviser to Biden and chief of staff to Harris on the Biden-Harris Campaign. She previously served as a chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org and was a political analyst for NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst. Jean-Pierre served as regional political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs during the Obama-Biden administration and as deputy battleground states director for Obama's 2012 reelection campaign.

© Kimberly White, Getty Images for MoveOn Karine Jean-Pierre, seen here interviewing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, will serve as principal deputy press secretary in President-elect Joe Biden's White House.

Jen Psaki

White House press secretary

Psaki is overseeing confrimation for the Biden-Harris transition team. During the Obama-Biden administration, Psaki held several senior roles, including White House communications director, State Department spokesperson under then-Secretary of State John Kerry, Deputy White House communications director and deputy White House Press Secretary during the financial crisis.

Symone Sanders

Senior adviser and chief spokesperson for the vice president

Sanders served as a senior adviser on the Biden-Harris Campaign. Four years ago, she worked for Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign as press secretary, the youngest person ever in that role for a presidential campaign. Before joining the Biden-Harris Campaign, Sanders was a CNN political commentator and served as principal of the 360 Group LLC, where she provided strategic communications guidance. Sanders is the former chair of the Coalition of Juvenile Justice Emerging Leaders Committee and former member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice.

Live politics updates: Biden secures the number of electors needed to defeat Trump, become president

Biden has the electors to be president; Trump pressures Kemp to get the state legislature to flip Georgia ahead of rally – politics updates.President Donald Trump has cleared the way for Biden's team to use federal resources and get briefings during the transition, although Trump has yet to formally concede the race.

© AKI SOGA/FREE PRESS Symone Sanders, who worked as a senior advisor on Joe Biden's presidential campaign, will serve as senior advisor and chief spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Pili Tobar

Deputy White House communications director

Tobar served as communications director for coalitions on the Biden-Harris Campaign. Previously, she served as the deputy director for America’s Voice, where she advocated on behalf of immigrants. She has also served as the Hispanic media director for Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, national director of Hispanic Media and Western Regional Press Secretary for the Democratic National Committee, communications director for U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, and communications director for the Latino Victory Project.

Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @Joeygarrison.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden names all-women White House communications team led by Jen Psaki as press secretary