OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Working inside the office of Jill Biden is, apparently, much the same as working in Kamala Harris’ office a new report claims.
The office on Biden was likened to “The Devil Wears Prada” and it was claimed that one of Biden’s top aides was “berating” other employees, Politico reported.
When Jill Biden penned her 2019 memoir she thanked more than two dozen members of her staff but one, Anthony Bernal, got an entire paragraph for himself.
“A special thank-you to Anthony Bernal, who spent countless hours, holidays, and weekends to push me to write,” she said. “He knows how much I love him and respect him.”
Now Bernal is the most powerful person inside Jill Biden’s office, which also gives him power in the White House where Jill Biden is one of Joe Biden’s most trusted advisors.
His official title is “advisor to the first lady,” but he is much more than that as planning for near every speech and appearance has to go through him, the report said.
Democrats inside and outside the White House said. And the way he has wielded that power has made Bernal one of the most polarizing people in the White House, according to interviews with more than two dozen White House staffers, former campaign aides, and people who worked with him during the Obama administration.
Bernal’s allies and enemies alike say that his loyalty to the First Lady is absolute. Even many of his detractors concede that his creative talents and attention to detail have benefitted Dr. Biden.
But many of these same officials argue that Bernal’s pursuit of perfection on behalf of the First Lady does not excuse the way he treats some other staffers. Many described him as “berating” and “toxic” because of his unfiltered criticism of others and tendency to trash talk his colleagues behind their backs. Some compare him to MERYL STREEP’s character in “Devil Wears Prada” while another equated him to the ever-conspiring Littlefinger in “Game of Thrones.”
“Anthony’s loyalty to our team and the First Family is unrivaled, and he holds himself, and all of us, to the highest standards,” Jill Biden’s Chief of Staff Julissa Reynoso said. “There is no one at the White House with a bigger heart than Anthony, which is one of several reasons why so many in the First Lady’s office have worked with him for years. He cares deeply about the personal and professional growth of his colleagues.”
But apparently, stories of Bernal making people cry are well known. Two former staffers said that they heard him call people “stupid” either in meetings or on the phone.
Some staffer says the abuse was so rampant that some people recorded him, though Politico had not heard the alleged recordings and the office of Jill Biden did not address them.
“He has a constituency of one and he’s very effective on her behalf,” a Biden official said to Politico. “The problem is that no one who has worked with him trusts him, and that’s not good for him or her.”
One White House official defended Bernal, saying he is “warm,” “generous,” and “brilliant” (“this is a guy who can do three-digit, four-digit multiplication in his head!”).
But they admitted that “Anthony is as quick with a compliment as he is with a critique.”
Another former White House official who said that Bernal is his friend said that he is, “the most loyal staffer I’ve ever seen,” but, “even if you’re his friend, you know he’ll talk shit about you.”
Those who were interviewed for the story were split on what they believed Jill Biden knew about the situation and if she would even intervene if she did know considering her close friendship with Bernal.
Jill Biden’s office did not make Bernal or her available to be interviewed for the story.