White House press aide quits over threatening remarks to journalist

[February 15, 2021]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A White House press aide who repeatedly threatened a reporter working on a story about his romantic life resigned on Saturday.

White House Deputy Press Secretary TJ Ducklo holds a paper sheet with names and headshots of reporters during a press briefing at the White House, in Washington, U.S., February 8, 2021. Picture taken on February 8, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Vanity Fair reported Friday that the aide, TJ Ducklo, told a reporter for Politico "I will destroy you" and made other crude remarks when asked to comment on a report that he was dating a Washington journalist. The White House initially suspended him without pay.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Saturday that Ducklo had resigned.

Ducklo said in a statement posted on Twitter that "no words can express my regret, my embarrassment, and my disgust for my behavior."

(Reporting by Brad Heath; Editing by Alistair Bell)

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