Biden’s ‘bodyman’ QUITS to take job at Transportation Department
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Biden’s ‘bodyman’ QUITS: First staffer to see president in the morning set to join West Wing exodus by leaving White House this week
- President Joe Biden’s ‘bodyman,’ Stephen Goepfert, is set to leave the White House at the end of the week
- CNN reported Tuesday that Goepfert will depart the West Wing for a position in the Transportation Department
- Goepfert is the first openly gay man to hold the role of personal aide to the president
- He joined Biden’s team during the 2020 campaign and stayed on after Biden’s White House win
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President Joe Biden’s ‘bodyman,’ Stephen Goepfert, is set to leave the White House at the end of the week.
CNN reported Tuesday that Goepfert will depart the West Wing for a position in the Transportation Department.
Goepfert, who was the first out gay man to hold the role of personal aide to a president, has worked for Biden since his 2020 presidential campaign, and before that worked in the Obama White House.
President Joe Biden’s ‘bodyman,’ Stephen Goepfert, is set to leave the White House at the end of the week
Stephen Goepfert (left) was the first openly gay man to hold the title of personal aide to the president, for President Joe Biden (right)
Stephen Goepfert, President Joe Biden’s ‘bodyman,’ carries bags and other supplies across the South Lawn after arriving back at the White House from Rehoboth Beach
As the president’s ‘bodyman,’ Goepfert is often the first and last staffer Biden sees every day.
And while not wholly a public figure, he’s often caught on camera placing remarks on the podium before Biden delivers a speech, or passing the president a note.
‘From the campaign to the White House, Stephen Goepfert has been by my side,’ the president said in a statement to CNN.
‘In moments big, small, and extraordinary, he’s been a trusted and loyal confidant who everyone counts on and who always delivers,’ the president continued.
‘Jill and I will miss Stephen, but we’re proud that he will continue to serve the American people in his new role in the Biden-Harris administration as he continues his career in public service,’ Biden added.
CNN reported that Goepfert’s replacement will be Jacob Spreyer, currently the official White House receptionist.
Goepfert entered the Obama administration as a deputy director in the Office of Presidential Correspondence.
He caught the attention of Steve Ricchetti, who currently serves as Biden’s counselor to the president.
Then Ricchetti was serving as Vice President Joe Biden’s chief of staff and brought Goepfert over to serve as a senior adviser.
During the 2020 campaign, Goepfert’s name came up when Biden’s personal aide quit.
‘You’re literally at the border of where the president’s privacy and public duties sit,’ Ricchetti told CNN. ‘Stephen has had the ability and the willingness to help the president navigate everything he did throughout the day. That ends up being a critical role.’