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Josh Earnest

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Josh Earnest
29thWhite House Press Secretary
In office
June 20, 2014 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
DeputyEric Schultz
Preceded byJay Carney
Succeeded bySean Spicer
White House Deputy Press Secretary
In office
February 11, 2011 – June 20, 2014
PresidentBarack Obama
LeaderJay Carney
Preceded byBill Burton
Succeeded byEric Schultz
Personal details
Born
Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest

(1975-01-22)January 22, 1975(age 49)
Kansas City, Missouri,U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Natalie Wyeth
​
(m.2012)​
Children2
EducationRice University(BA)

Joshua Ryan Henry Earnest[1](born January 22, 1975)[2]is an American political advisor who served asWhite House press secretaryunderPresidentBarack Obamafrom 2014 to 2017. He was Obama's third Press Secretary and the 29th to hold the position. He succeededJay Carneyas Obama's press secretary, in 2014, and was succeeded byPresident Donald Trump's first presidential press secretary,Sean Spicer.He is Executive Vice President of Communications and Advertising forUnited Airlines.

Early life and education

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Earnest was born inKansas City, Missouri,[3]the son of Donald H. Earnest, anathletic director,and Jeanne M. Earnest, apsychologist.[4]He attendedThe Barstow School,aprivatesecondary school,on ascholarship.

He graduated fromRice University,[4]in 1997, with adegreeinpolitical scienceandpolicy studies.[5]Earnest was a member ofSid Richardson Collegeand was the campus-widebeer bikecoordinator while atRice University.[6]

Career

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Immediately following college, he worked forLee P. Brownduring the1997 Houston mayoral election.[7]Earnest served as a congressional aide to U.S. congressmanRobert Marion Berry,from 2002 to 2003 after working onMichael Bloomberg's first campaign for mayor of New York City.[8]

After working on Capitol Hill, Earnest worked for the Democratic National Committee, from 2003 to 2006, under bothTerry McAuliffeandHoward Dean.[9]Earnest wasJim Davis'communications director during Davis'2006 gubernatorial campaigninFlorida.He moved to Iowa, in December 2006, to serve as national communications director for then-Iowa governorTom Vilsack's presidential campaign.[10]

He then joinedBarack Obama'spresidential campaignin March 2007 as Obama's Iowa communications director.[4]After Obama's Iowa caucus victory, Earnest worked as a top communications aide in several primary contests including South Carolina, Texas and Pennsylvania. During the 2008 general election, Earnest served as the campaign's deputy communication director.[11]After Obama was elected president, Earnest moved toWashington, D.C.,and served as the communications director for the presidential inaugural committee.[12]

Earnest started at the White House on Obama's first full day in office, January 21, 2009, as deputy press secretary[13]underRobert Gibbs.Later, Earnest was promoted and served as principal deputy White House press secretary and chief of staff toJay Carney,occasionally filling in during press briefings. Earnest was the voice ofWest Wing Week,an online video series produced by the White House that chronicledPresident Barack Obama'sactivities each week.[14]

On May 30, 2014, Obama announced that Josh Earnest would succeed Carney as the White House press secretary.[15]In an annual survey conducted by thePolitico Magazinein April 2015, he was voted the most helpful press official in the Obama administration and the best White House press secretary by nearly 70 journalists.[16]

He delivered his last press briefing of the Obama administration on January 17, 2017, in which he was surprised by Obama, who then lauded Earnest for his years of service underhis administration.[17]

Earnest has worked as a political analyst and commentator forNBC NewsandMSNBCsince March 2017.[18]

In May 2018, Earnest began serving as Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer forUnited Airlines,based at their headquarters inChicago.[19]In September 2023, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Communications and Advertising.[20]He also serves on the Board of Advisors ofLet America Vote,an organization founded by formerMissouri Secretary of StateJason Kanderthat aims to endvoter suppression.[21]

Personal life

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In August 2012, Earnest married Natalie Wyeth in a Christian ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.[1]His wife is a great-granddaughter of illustratorN. C. Wyeth,a granddaughter of engineerNathaniel C. Wyeth,and a former veteran Treasury Department official.[1]They have a son and a daughter.[22]

References

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  1. ^abc"Weddings: Earnest/Wyeth".The New York Times.August 26, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  2. ^Allen, Mike."Josh Earnest turns 40".RetrievedJanuary 22,2015.
  3. ^"Former White House press secretary Josh Earnest catches up with Royals in Baltimore".kansascity.RetrievedJanuary 22,2019.
  4. ^abcMallozzi, Vincent M. (August 26, 2012)."Natalie Wyeth, Joshua Earnest - Weddings".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedJanuary 22,2019.
  5. ^Topaz, Jonathan."10 Things about Josh Earnest".Politico.RetrievedNovember 19,2015.
  6. ^"Rice alumnus Josh Earnest recalls path to White House".The Rice Thresher.RetrievedNovember 29,2018.
  7. ^Roth, Bennett."Clinton, Obama plan Texas size campaign push".RetrievedAugust 18,2012.
  8. ^Guariglia, Matthew (May 30, 2014)."Josh Earnest: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know".Heavy.RetrievedNovember 1,2016.
  9. ^"DNC Organization-2005-06 Edition".Gwu.edu.RetrievedDecember 1,2016.
  10. ^"Key People-Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA)".Gwu.edu.RetrievedDecember 1,2016.
  11. ^"Key People-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) General Election Edition".Gwu.edu.RetrievedDecember 1,2016.
  12. ^"2009 Presidential Inaugural Committees (PIC, JCCIC and AFIC) Organization".Gwu.edu.RetrievedDecember 1,2016.
  13. ^Zeleny, Jeff (January 21, 2009)."President Obama's First Day".The Caucus.RetrievedJanuary 22,2019.
  14. ^Epstein, Jennifer."Meet Josh Earnest".Politico.com.RetrievedJune 20,2014.
  15. ^Camia, Catalina."White House spokesman Jay Carney at the same time.resigns".USA Today.RetrievedMay 30,2014.
  16. ^"The Truth About Covering Obama".Politico.com.Archived fromthe originalon June 29, 2015.RetrievedAugust 12,2016.
  17. ^"Obama pops in final White House briefing".cnn.com.January 17, 2017.
  18. ^NBC News Signs former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest,The Hill,March 27, 2017, Retrieved April 11, 2018
  19. ^United Airlines Names Josh Earnest Chief Communications Officer,May 3, 2018, Retrieved May 3, 2018
  20. ^Byrd, Sam (September 21, 2023)."Rice alum and board member takes flight".Rice University News and Media Relations.RetrievedMay 15,2024.
  21. ^"Advisors".Let America Vote.RetrievedMay 1,2018.
  22. ^Palleta, Damian."Treasury Veteran Natalie Wyeth Earnest to Step Down".Blogs.wsj.com.RetrievedDecember 5,2014.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by White House Press Secretary
2014–2017 		Succeeded by
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