Morale at the White House is reportedly low as staffers express frustration over the apparent discontinuation of a long-standing tradition: a parting photo with the president, according to Politico Playbook. In the Biden White House, it has been customary for departing staffers to receive a photo with the president as a token of appreciation for their service, Politico Playbook reported. However, with the president canceling these photos in recent months, staffers are now worried they may miss out on the cherished gesture despite recent organizational changes, the outlet noted.
The Office of Management and Administration’s employee engagement team recently informed staff via email that they would be scheduled for a photo with the president on a rolling basis over the next two months, but additional guests would not be permitted in the picture, according to the outlet. This change has upset staffers, the outlet reported, as it breaks from tradition. Previously, family members of staffers were typically invited to join and often traveled to Washington for the occasion, which included a few minutes with the president.
“Instead of everyone being annoyed by no departure photos, now it’s only half of the people who are annoyed,” one current administration official told Politico Playbook. Morale appears to have taken a deeper hit than anticipated, with senior staffers reportedly frustrated over junior officials receiving their photos with the president ahead of them, noted the report.
“It makes me annoyed that I’m even this annoyed, but it’s the principle of the matter and a coveted White House experience to get a departure photo,” a text from a former official obtained by Politico Playbook reads. “Like why did I see an intern turned staff assistant get a photo before me?”
A former official told Politico Playbook that a group of staffers is contemplating drafting a petition to advocate for senior staff to receive photos with the president. Meanwhile, an administration official stated that former staff members are expected to receive invitations soon for a photo opportunity with the president, a step they hope will address and ease concerns surrounding the issue. “These are the staffers who stood with Biden since Day 1, many since the lowest ebbs of the campaign,” one former official wrote in a message to colleagues. “The staffers who gave everything to this President, who missed anniversaries, birthdays, their own doctors appointments, knowing democracy itself was on the line, deserve at the very least a proper goodbye from the man who says he owes them everything.”
Since ending his reelection bid in July, Biden has maintained a relatively low profile. On November 22, he and his allies came together for a dinner to express gratitude to his longtime supporters. During the event, the president thanked attendees for standing by him both politically and during the personal tragedies he has faced. First Lady Jill Biden offered a heartfelt toast, calling her husband her “hero.”
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