(PatriotWise.com)- The White House is losing yet another staff member, and this time, it’s someone who’s considered very close to President Joe Biden.
Later this week, Stephen Goepfert will be stepping down from his role as the personal aide to Biden. He’s spent the last three years in this role and has often be referred to as the president’s “bodyman.”
Goepfert will be departing to take on a new role at the Department of Transportation. In commenting on the departure, Biden issued a statement that read:
“From the campaign to the White House, Stephen Goepfert has been by my side. In moments big, small and extraordinary, he’s been a trusted and loyal confidant who everyone counts on and who always delivers.
“Jill and I will miss Stephen, but we’re proud that he will continue to serve the American people in his new role in the Biden-Harris administration as he continues his career in public service.”
Many insiders say that this departure will have a huge impact on the day-to-day operations of the president. Goepfert was often the first staffer at the White House to interact with Biden in the mornings as well as the last at night.
Over the last three years, he has focused heavily on the details and cadence that makes Biden tick. How the president will respond now with someone else in that role will soon be seen.
Jacob Spreyer will succeed Goepfert as Biden’s personal assistant. He is currently serving as the official receptionist at the White House.
The role that Spreyer will be serving in is demanding. It bridges the gap between a president’s personal and professional lives, and requires the person who occupies the position to be physically present all the time with the president.
Goepfert not only accompanied Biden everywhere he went at the White House and on trips to foreign countries, but also to his homes in Delaware when he went there on weekends.
Ron Klain, the chief of staff at the White House, pointed all of this out when he had high praise for Goepfert, saying:
“I have worked with and seen many body people over the years. Stephen is at the top. It’s a tough and grueling job, and no one has done it with the competence, kindness and warmth that he has.”
Many people who are a part of Biden’s inner circle — and who have been with him for many years throughout his long tenure in Washington — have remarked how integral and loyal Goepfert have been to the president.
One of Biden’s counselors, long-time aide Steve Ricchetti, said of the position:
“You’re literally at the border of where the president’s privacy and public duties sit. You have to have the right touch and right skill set. Stephen has had the ability and the willingness to help the president navigate everything he did throughout the day. That ends up being a critical role.”
As of next week, that critical role will be in the hands of someone new.
