Scandal at the White House: the new deputy press secretary previously posed with a rifle, wearing a T-shirt bearing the message “Fuck Joe Biden”

The appointment of former journalist Beni Rae Harmony, 24, as the White House deputy press secretary is provoking reactions after a photograph published in 2021 resurfaced on social media. In the image, Harmony is wearing a T-shirt bearing the message “Fuck Joe Biden” and appears next to an assault rifle, in front of Christmas decorations.

The photograph shows her alongside Jarome Bell, a former Republican candidate for the House of Representatives. Harmony has not commented on the criticism, but the White House defended her recruitment. Anna Kelly, another deputy press secretary, said that she would be “an exceptional addition” to President Donald Trump’s communications team.

Harmony was recruited a few days after interviewing Trump for the conservative outlet Real America’s Voice. The administration presents her as “a trusted voice of the MAGA movement,” highlighting her experience as a White House correspondent and her participation in the president’s trips.

The young woman began her career at Turning Point USA, where she worked from 2021 to 2022, then became director of public affairs for Jarome Bell’s campaign. In September 2025, she said she had been suspended by WICS-ABC20 after airing a tribute to Charlie Kirk, whom she considered a mentor. She later joined Real America’s Voice television.

Her recruitment is part of the White House strategy of bringing journalists favorable to the administration into its ranks. Meanwhile, other reporters, including those from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, have recently been excluded from some of Trump’s trips.

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