Jen Psaki Biography
Jen Psaki is an American political analyst working for MSNBC as the host of the talk show Inside. She joined the MSNBC news team in May 2022, after previously working for CNN.
Jen Psaki Career
She worked as a political assistant for both the Obama and Biden administrations. From May 2022 to May 2023, she was the 34th White House press secretary under the Biden administration. In the Obama administration, she was the White House deputy press secretary in 2009, the White House deputy communications director from 2009 to 2011, the spokesperson for the US Department of State from 2013 to 2015, and the White House communications director from 2015 to 2017. She is a Democrat. From 2017 to 2020, Psaki wrote about politics for CNN.
Psaki’s first jobs were working for Iowa Democrats Tom Harkin for re-election to the U.S. Senate and Tom Vilsack for governor in 2001. She then became John Kerry’s deputy press secretary for his 2004 presidential campaign. Moreover, Psaki worked as the communications director for U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley and the regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2005 to 2006.
MSNBC hired Psaki as a reporter on May 24, 2022. The network said she would be a part of their coverage of the 2022 midterms and the 2024 presidential election, and they were also working on a show with Psaki as the host for Peacock. Psaki’s first TV appearance after leaving her job as White House press secretary was on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she talked about the shooting at Robb Elementary School. Moreover, in February 2023, MSNBC said that Psaki would be hosting a new show on Sunday mornings called Inside with Jen Psaki. In addition, the show would start on March 19, 2023, and the show is mostly about issues of public politics. This time spot had been used by All In with Chris Hayes as a backup. Moreover, there was some talk that Psaki had sometimes filled in as a host for All In.
The journalists at NBC News, which is sister to MSNBC, were angry and scared about Psaki’s move to MSNBC. They thought it would hurt NBC’s reputation and “reinforce the impression, already well-established in opinion polls, that the news business in the US works hand-in-glove with political factions.” This deal and a rival offer from CNN were worked out by Psaki while she was still press secretary. Because of this, people, including NBC’s own White House correspondent Kristen Welker, thought she might have been biased toward her possible employers to get the job. Some White House employees have gone on to work in television news, but Psaki was hired as an anchor instead of a political analyst, which was not the norm. On MSNBC, she works alongside Ari Melber, Alex Witt, Katie Phang, Ali Velshi, Michael Steele, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Joe Scarborough.
Jen Psaki Obama Administration
In 2008, when U.S. Senator Barack Obama was running for president, Psaki was his traveling press secretary. After Obama won the election, Psaki went to work for Obama in the White House as his deputy press secretary. On December 19, 2009, she was moved to deputy communications director. However, Psaki left this job on the 22nd of September 2011 to become senior vice president and managing director at the Global Strategy Group office in Washington, D.C.
In 2012, Psaki went back to working in political communications when she became the press secretary for President Obama’s bid to keep his job. She took over as spokesman for the US Department of State on February 11, 2013. When she was hired by the Department of State, rumors spread that she would take over as White House press secretary when Jay Carney left his job. However, on May 30, 2014, it was reported that Josh Earnest would take over for Carney. After leaving the White House in 2013, she went back in 2015 as communications director and stayed until the end of the Obama government.
Jen Psaki White House Press Secretary
She quit CNN in November 2020 and joined the Biden–Harris transition team. At the end of that month, Psaki was hired by the Biden government as the White House press secretary. Moreover, after the inauguration on January 20, 2021, she gave her first press conference that evening. She said she would leave her job as press secretary “in about a year from now” in an interview with David Axelrod, who used to be the president’s top advisor.
The interview took place on May 6. A watchdog group said in October that Psaki had broken the Hatch Act with her comments about the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial race. Moreover, Psaki said on November 2 that she had tested positive for COVID-19. She went back to work on November 12 after being in quarantine and recovering. In addition, she said that her vaccinations helped her get better without any problems.
Psaki tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in six months on March 22, 2022. She did not go with President Biden on his trip to Europe. Psaki was said to be leaving the White House “around May” for a job at MSNBC by Axios on April 1. The White House said on May 5 that she would be leaving her job on May 13 and named Karine Jean-Pierre as her main deputy to take her place.
Jen Psaki Salary
Psaki earns a salary of about $57,000-$150,000.
Jen Psaki Net Worth
Psaki has an estimated net worth of about $1 Million – $7 Million which she has earned through her career as a political analyst.
Jen Psaki Age
Psaki was born on December 1, 1978, in New York, United States. She is 45 years old as of 2023, and she celebrates her birthday on the 1st of December every year.
Jen Psaki Height and Weight
Psaki stands at a height of 5 feet 5 inches tall (1.65m) and weighs 55kgs (121 lbs)
Jen Psaki Family
Psaki was born in New York, United States to Dimitrios R. Psaki (father), a retired real estate developer, and Eileen Medvey (mother), a psychotherapist. Her parents tied the knot in 1976. When she was a child, her great-grandfather came to the United States from Greece in 1904. Moreover, her great-grandmother was from Ireland.
Jen Psaki Husband and Children
Psaki is married to Gregory Mecher, chief of staff for Representative Steve Driehaus, Democrat of Ohio. The two tied the knot in 2010 at Woodlawn Farm in Ridge, Md. They were joined together by Md. Moreover, The Rev. Dr. David D. Young. In addition, the couple is blessed with two children; Genevieve Mecher and a son whose name is not disclosed to the public.
Jen Psaki Wedding Dress
Psaki and Gregory Mecher exchanged vows in 2010 at Woodlawn Farm in Ridge, Md. Moreover, they were joined together by Md. The Rev. Dr. David D. Young, a minister of the United Church of Christ. Psaki’s wedding dress was a simple white gown with straps.
Jen Psaki Social Media Platforms
Psaki is very active on her Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages. She has 1.4M followers on Twitter 38.6k followers on Instagram, and 1.2k followers on Facebook.