Jen Psaki Bio
Jennifer Rene Psaki (born December 1, 1978) is an American political analyst and former government official who rose to national prominence as the 34th White House press secretary. A member of the Democratic Party, she served in the Biden administration from January 2021 to May 2022 after holding several senior communications posts during the Obama administration. Psaki has since built a media career, first as a CNN contributor and later as the host of programs on MSNBC, where she anchors a weekday primetime show. She is recognized for a direct briefing-room style and a long résumé of high-level messaging work across executive branch agencies and political campaigns.
Early Life and Background
Psaki, the eldest of three daughters, was born in New York City in 1978 to psychotherapist Eileen (née Dolan) Medvey and now-retired real estate developer James Raul Psaki. She is of Greek and Irish descent, and her parents married in 1976 before later separating. Her paternal grandfather Raoul Psaki served as a combat medic during World War II and the Korean War, a family history she has referenced in discussing her public-service values.
She grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, and graduated from Greenwich High School in 1996. In 2000, she earned a degree in English and sociology from the College of William & Mary. At the college she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority, serving as chapter president, and she swam backstroke competitively for two years on the William & Mary Tribe swim team.
Path to US Politics
Psaki began her political career in 2001, working on the re-election campaigns of Iowa Democrats Tom Harkin for the U.S. Senate and Tom Vilsack for governor. The following year she joined John Kerry’s 2004 presidential bid as deputy press secretary, gaining early exposure to national campaign communications. From 2005 to 2006 she served as communications director to U.S. representative Joseph Crowley and as regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Her 2004 work with the Kerry campaign put her on a trajectory toward senior communications roles. She traveled with Senator Barack Obama as his 2008 traveling press secretary, and after his election she followed him to the White House, beginning a series of progressively senior roles across two administrations.
Jen Psaki Career
Early Career (2001–2008)
Psaki’s early career was rooted in Iowa and national Democratic campaigns. Her work for Harkin, Vilsack, and Kerry gave her hands-on experience with Senate, gubernatorial, and presidential communications, while her tenure in the Crowley office and the campaign committee sharpened her press-operation skills. These positions established her reputation as a reliable communicator within Democratic political circles and led to her selection as traveling press secretary for the 2008 Obama campaign.
Obama Administration Breakthrough (2009–2017)
After Barack Obama’s 2008 victory, Psaki became White House deputy press secretary and was promoted to deputy communications director in December 2009. She left the White House in September 2011 to serve as senior vice president and managing director at the Washington, D.C. office of public relations firm Global Strategy Group, briefly stepping outside government.
She returned to political work as press secretary for President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, then was named spokesperson for the United States Department of State on February 11, 2013. After the State Department post, she returned to the White House in 2015 as communications director, a role she held through the end of the Obama administration. This eight-year run across the executive branch gave her a deep résumé in federal communications.
White House Press Secretary Era (2021–2022)
In November 2020, Psaki left CNN to join the Biden–Harris transition team and was named the White House press secretary for the incoming Biden administration. She held her first press briefing on the evening of January 20, 2021, following the inauguration, and quickly became a daily fixture at the podium. Her tenure included a COVID-19 diagnosis in November 2021 and a brief controversy over her initial dismissal of free at-home testing, after which the administration made tests available.
She announced she would depart after about a year in the role, and on May 5, 2022, the White House confirmed her May 13 exit and named principal deputy Karine Jean-Pierre as her successor. The role cemented her profile as one of the most-recognized press secretaries of her generation.
Media Career at MSNBC (2022–Present)
MSNBC hired Psaki as a contributor in May 2022. In February 2023, the network announced her Sunday program, Inside with Jen Psaki, which launched on March 19, 2023, and moved into a Monday 8 p.m. Eastern primetime slot in September 2023. In May 2024 she published Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World, a New York Times bestseller drawing on her government experience.
She endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 Democratic nomination and, in July 2024, testified before the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs about the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal. In February 2025, MSNBC announced that Psaki would host The Briefing with Jen Psaki in primetime at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday beginning in April 2025.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her career-defining moments include serving as the 34th White House press secretary, navigating the early months of the Biden administration through a pandemic, and pivoting to primetime cable news as host of two MSNBC programs. The 2024 publication of her bestseller and her subsequent House Foreign Affairs testimony underscored her continued influence in national political dialogue.
Jen Psaki Career Highlights
Across more than two decades in public life, Psaki has built a record of senior communications service in the executive branch and the Democratic Party’s campaign infrastructure, followed by a prominent media platform. Her work spans presidential campaigns, federal agencies, and primetime television.
Government and Campaign Highlights
Psaki served as White House deputy press secretary, White House deputy communications director, State Department spokesperson, and White House communications director under President Obama, then as the 34th White House press secretary under President Biden. She also worked as press secretary for the 2012 Obama reelection campaign and as traveling press secretary during the 2008 Obama campaign.
Other Achievements
Her 2024 book, Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World, became a New York Times bestseller. She has also been a leading voice in political media, hosting Inside with Jen Psaki and launching The Briefing with Jen Psaki on MSNBC.
Jen Psaki Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Psaki is the daughter of Eileen (née Dolan) Medvey, a psychotherapist, and James Raul Psaki, a now-retired real estate developer. She is of Greek and Irish descent, and her paternal grandfather Raoul Psaki served as a combat medic during World War II and the Korean War. She is the eldest of three sisters.
Personal Life
On May 8, 2010, Psaki married Greg Mecher, then chief of staff to Congressman Steve Driehaus and later chief of staff to Congressman Joe Kennedy. The couple met at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006, and they have two children. They are members of the Democratic political community in the Washington, D.C. area.