'Unflinchingly loyal' Biden official with administration since 'day one' set to depart

By 
 March 8, 2023

One of the few President Joe Biden administration officials who had been with the administration since 'day one' in 2021 will be departing from it, according to CNN.

Remi Yamamoto, 30, was the senior adviser for communications to White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who also departed the administration recently. In that role, she advised a team of Biden's senior advisors.

Yamamoto was one of only a few senior Biden officials who was an "outsider," and had not known and worked with Biden for years, but she proved herself and quickly became valuable to the team.

"Extraordinarily capable"

Biden called her "unflinchingly loyal" and "extraordinarily capable" in her position as an advisor to other senior Biden officials.

She also served as Biden's traveling press secretary during the early part of the campaign before COVID-19 shutdowns, facing the challenges of getting enough support to get the nomination and differentiating Biden's platform from the other primary candidates.

“She really internalized who President Biden is and what the campaign was about,” Biden adviser Mike Donilon said in an interview. “There’s a DNA in this place that comes from what it took to get here.”

Besides her loyalty and effectiveness, Biden also praised her humor and work ethic, and made it clear he considered her a friend.

“Her insights, good humor, and work ethic have been an incredible asset to all of us, and I am grateful for her service and friendship,” Biden said of her departure.

Unique role

Yamamoto's role as an advisor of advisors was a unique one in the administration, with almost no precedent. It is not clear whether Biden will replace her or take another path to cover the work she did with the administration and team.

She was credited for running a tight ship and having few leaks, unlike the previous administration.

Deputy Chief of Staff O'Malley Dillon called her “one of the rare, brilliant people who can synthesize policy, message, political strategy, and operational execution.”

Counselor Steve Ricchetti called her a “loyal fighter for the president and his whole team since before day one of the campaign.”

“There isn’t a person in this building who won’t miss her, from the president on down,” counselor Anita Dunn said.

While it is always difficult when integral people leave the administration, it is a common time for turnover in an administration as resets for re-election campaigns happen.

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