The Washington Post’s National Editor Steven Ginsberg, Deputy National Editor Lori Montgomery and Senior Politics Editor Peter Wallsten today announced the new White House reporting team.
Ashley Parker, who has distinguished herself as one of the country’s most astute chroniclers of the Trump presidency, will become our new White House bureau chief. Ashley's sweeping reconstructions of key moments over the past four years, as exemplified by her role anchoring an epic account of how Trump lost the election, made her byline a draw for readers yearning to know what was happening in the White House. Ashley has demonstrated through her work, her collegial spirit and her wry sense of humor that she is ready to step into this leadership role. In her new role, she will take on some of our most ambitious coverage, documenting the internal workings of the new administration and bringing readers inside the big moments and major decisions with her trademark insight and flair.
Anne Gearan, who has written with authority on how the Trump administration has rewritten the rules of international diplomacy, will remain a White House correspondent with a focus on foreign policy. Anne will document how Biden and his national security team balance the demands of fulfilling his pledge to re-engage on the global stage while navigating a body politic that is far more skeptical of international trade and overseas military entanglements than the last time he held public office. Anne brings to this role extensive experience writing about foreign affairs and politics, having covered three presidents, the Pentagon, the State Department and Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign.
Seung Min Kim, who has covered the Trump presidency through the lens of Capitol Hill, will continue in that role. Seung Min has distinguished herself with scoopy, authoritative coverage of Supreme Court confirmations and policy battles between the Trump administration and Congress. She will document the relationship between the Biden White House and lawmakers in both parties as they attempt to steer the country through the pandemic, economic turmoil and a potentially far-reaching immigration deal.
Annie Linskey will join the White House team after an impressive run covering the 2020 campaign. Annie made her mark on the Democratic primaries with her probing coverage of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, providing insights into the American liberal movement that led to a series of scoops during the general election. Annie will focus on the relationship between the White House and key forces in Democratic and Republican politics seeking to influence the new president, from labor unions and civil rights groups to Wall Street and small-business advocates.
Sean Sullivan will join the White House team after a distinguished run on the politics staff that brought him from Capitol Hill to the campaign trail. Sean regularly outpaced the competition during the 2020 primaries with his scoop-heavy coverage of the Bernie Sanders campaign, and he continued to break news during the general election, including a series of revelatory pieces about Biden’s search for a running mate. At the White House, Sean will look for scoops large and small while also focusing on how Biden navigates the influence of the Sanders movement and others on the Democratic Party’s left.
Matt Viser joins the White House team after a terrific two-year stint as one of our lead reporters on Biden. Matt regularly landed some of the most revealing stories about the life and times of the next president, such as the speaking fees after he was vice president that made “Middle Class Joe” a wealthy man and an illuminating look at his sister Val and the influence she had on her brother. Matt will lead the way in telling the story of the Biden presidency in full, casting a narrative eye on the man in the Oval Office as well as his friends, close advisers and family.
Cleve R. Wootson Jr. joins the White House team after an eventful 2020 in which he provided memorable and revelatory coverage of the presidential campaign, coronavirus pandemic and the racial justice movement, living at various times in Florida, Oregon and, most recently, Georgia. These experiences, including his eye-opening chapter in our “George Floyd’s America” series have prepared Cleve to write with authority about the fractured nation Biden now tries to lead. Cleve will focus his reporting on the historically significant tenure of Vice President Kamala D. Harris while also exploring how Biden deals with far-right extremism and seeking to break news on the White House more broadly.
Several White House correspondents are leaving the beat for other roles.
Philip Rucker, whose journalistic achievements as White House bureau chief over the past four years are beyond measure, will become senior Washington correspondent. Phil’s run on the White House beat includes a seemingly endless array of deeply reported and brilliantly written inside-the-room accounts of the Trump years, from the president's handling of the Russia probe to the administration's failure to combat the pandemic. Through it all, Phil has represented the White House team – and The Post more broadly – with class, elevating our coverage with his exacting standards, an unwavering commitment to fairness and his zeal for excellence. He also found time to co-write with our own Carol D. Leonnig a best-selling book, “A Very Stable Genius.” In his new role, Phil will write penetrating narratives about politics, policy and the people driving both as Washington confronts historic crises, often collaborating with reporters across the National staff.
Josh Dawsey, who makes Post coverage sizzle day in and day out with scoop after scoop after scoop, will bring his investigative talents to our national political investigations team led by Matea Gold. Josh, whose instincts for finding earth-shaking news are unparalleled, regularly rattled Washington with revelations such as Trump’s reference to certain African and Caribbean nations as “shithole countries.” On the investigations team, Josh will focus, among other things, on the forces and figures shaping the post-Trump Republican Party.
David Nakamura, who through his aggressive coverage of the White House under Barack Obama and Trump forged an expertise on foreign policy, will take on a newly created beat at the Justice Department focused on civil rights. Dave carved out a specialty over the past four years on West Wing diversity, regularly exposing the lack of representation at the center of power in America, including his much-discussed curation of White House photos showing Trump spending time almost exclusively with White men.
Toluse Olorunnipa, who has delved deeply into the intersection of policy and politics, will also join the national political investigations team. Tolu's memorable work ranged from chronicling Trump's far-reaching impact on politics to documenting the pathologies and personal tics that defined him. He also demonstrated his investigative and storytelling chops with a gripping chapter in “George Floyd’s America” about how systemic racism shaped Floyd’s life. In his new role, Tolu will join a reporting team focused on holding the federal government accountable for its policies, practices and spending.
Dave Clarke, who as White House editor was a chief architect of some of our most ambitious coverage of the Trump White House, will become Congress editor. Dave has demonstrated a sharp eye for story ideas and a knack for envisioning high-level coverage – and he never loses his cool on deadline. We’ll have more to say about the Congress team soon.
White House coverage will be led by a team of experienced and talented editors.
Dan Eggen will take on an expanded role in his capacity as Washington editor. As the master craftsman of The Post’s signature “tick-tock” narratives that told the story of the Trump presidency, Dan will focus his time on similarly ambitious coverage of the Biden White House and Capitol Hill. He will oversee an editing team with a mandate to ensure The Post dominates day-to-day and in-depth coverage of the executive and legislative branches.
Naftali Bendavid will become White House editor. Since arriving two years ago as deputy campaign editor, Naftali has demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of politics and a knack for framing stories around sharp ideas, talents that will serve him well as he guides our new White House team. Naftali brings a deep understanding of Washington, having served as bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune as well as a congressional reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal.
