“Without Kate Bedingfield’s talent and tenacity, Donald Trump could still be in the White House, the Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Act could still be unfulfilled goals, and Ketanji Brown Jackson might not be in the Supreme Court.” , Klain said in a statement. . “She has played an important role in everything the president has achieved: from her second term as vice president, through the campaign and since she came to the White House.
“His strategic insight, his intense devotion to the president’s agenda and the fierce work on his behalf are unmatched. He will continue to be a critical player in advancing Biden’s agenda from the outside.”
A source familiar with the situation told CNN he will leave his role this summer. Bedingfield had been weighing in on the decision to leave the White House for several weeks, according to sources familiar with the situation, although he only gave official notice to Klain in recent days.
“Long before the campaign was launched, Kate Bedingfield was a fierce advocate for the president and ensured that our message in 2020 and in the White House was consistent with her voice and principles,” said Anita Dunn, a of Biden’s top advisors. “His leadership helped us tell the story of the struggle Joe Biden is making for working families in America. He will always be a basic member of that family, although it takes some time to put his own family first “.
One person widely regarded as Bedingfield’s likely replacement is Liz Allen, another loyal to Biden who worked for him when he was vice president and was also deputy communications director for former President Barack Obama. He was also commissioned to work with Kamala Harris after Harris was chosen to be Biden’s fellow vice president. He currently works in the State Department.
But it is unclear whether a decision has yet been made on Bedingfield’s successor.
Bedingfield’s departure is the latest change within his inner circle, as the president seeks to consolidate his team before the mid-term. Longtime adviser Dunn recently returned to the west wing full-time and a number of mid-level assistants have also moved to more prominent jobs in the administration.
Staff changes occur as the White House struggles with rising inflation, a war in Ukraine and low presidential approval rates, all as Republicans in the House and Senate seek to regain majority control in elections of November.
Bedingfield has held various political positions over the past decade and has a long working relationship with Biden. She worked with him at the Obama White House as deputy director of media affairs and response director.
She was considered a key figure in Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign, serving as deputy campaign director and communications director.
Bedingfield was a likely candidate for press secretary after Jen Psaki’s departure, but the role eventually went to Karine Jean-Pierre. Bedingfield occasionally conducted briefings in Jean-Pierre’s absence.
She previously worked at the Motion Picture Association of America, where she was vice president of corporate communications. Bedingfield was also the spokesperson for the 2008 presidential campaign of John Edwards and the communications director of the 2008 Senate campaign for Senator Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Shawna Mizelle contributed to this report.