Some White House staffers are frustrated that they may not get their goodbye photos with President Joe Biden.
While his presidency isn’t set to end how he and hundreds of staffers had hoped it would – by handing off to Vice President Kamala Harris – some traditions are neverthelessexpected to endure in his last few weeks in office.
The possibility that they may not get their photos with the president is affecting morale and being discussed in group chats, according to Politico.
Previously throughout Biden administration, as aides left for other jobs, the photo opportunities would be scheduled with a week’s notice. Staffers would often buy plane tickets for their families so that they would be able to join during the few minutes with the president.
“It’s just been one thing you can sort of count on as a reward for all of your service,” a former official, who left in 2022, told the outlet. “And it’s parents feeling fulfilled, too, for all of their work and getting you to this place.”
It was something staffers looked forward to after a disappointing election night. But now dozens have become upset at the notion of not getting to take the photos with the president.
Biden hasn’t taken farewell photos for several months, to the confusion of staffers who have often appreciated his personal manner.
“They just took them off his schedule months ago, and no one knows why,” the former official told Politico. “Of course the culture is bad over there if they’re not doing the little things.”
The Office of Management and Administration’s “employee engagement” team recently told managers that it was “pleased to invite all current EOP [ Executive Office of the President] political appointees for a departure photo to celebrate your time and work while at the White House” in an email obtained by Politico.
“These will be individual clicks (no guests) with the President in the Oval Office,” the email stated to the disappointment of staffers hoping to bring spouses and parents.
The photos will take place “on a rolling basis” during the course of Biden’s final weeks in office, according to the email. The photos were taken beginning on November 21, with some staffers already sharing them on social media.
“Instead of everyone being annoyed by no departure photos, now it’s only half of the people who are annoyed,” a current staffer told Politico.
Former senior officials have been frustrated by the images of more junior officials with Biden.
“Like why did I see an intern turned staff assistant get a photo before me?” a disappointed former official said in a group chat, according to the outlet.
“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,” another said.
An administration official told Politico last week that former officials would get an invite to take departure photos.
A former official told colleagues: “These are the staffers who stood with Biden since Day 1, many since the lowest ebbs of the campaign.”
The “staffers who gave everything to this president, who missed anniversaries, birthdays, their own doctor’s 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,” the official added.
