History of Jen Psaki in Timeline

Jen Psaki is an American political analyst and former government official. A Democrat, she served in various roles under the Obama administration, including White House Deputy Press Secretary, White House Deputy Communications Director, State Department Spokesperson, and White House Communications Director. She served as the White House Press Secretary for the Biden administration until May 2022. She also worked as a political contributor for CNN and currently hosts the talk show "Inside with Jen Psaki" on MSNBC.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1904: Emigration of Psaki's Grandfather

In 1904, Jen Psaki's paternal grandfather emigrated from Greece.

1910: Birth of Sylvester J. Dailey and Genevieve Lambert

In 1910, both Sylvester J. Dailey and Genevieve Lambert, Jen Psaki's maternal grandparents, were born.

1916: Birth of Raoul Psaki

In 1916, Raoul Psaki, Jen Psaki's paternal grandfather, was born.

1976: Psaki's Parents' Marriage

In 1976, Jen Psaki's parents, Eileen (née Dolan) Medvey and Dimitrios "James" R. Psaki, were married.

December 1, 1978: Jen Psaki's Birth

On December 1, 1978, Jennifer Rene Psaki was born. She would later become a prominent political advisor and White House Press Secretary.

1978: Psaki's Birth in New York City

In 1978, Jen Psaki was born in New York City to Eileen (née Dolan) Medvey and Dimitrios "James" R. Psaki.

1987: Death of Mary Keane

In 1987, Mary Keane, Jen Psaki's paternal grandmother, passed away.

1994: Death of Sylvester J. Dailey

In 1994, Sylvester J. Dailey, Jen Psaki's maternal grandfather, died.

1996: Graduation from Greenwich High School

In 1996, Jen Psaki graduated from Greenwich High School.

2000: Graduation from College of William & Mary

In 2000, Jen Psaki graduated from the College of William & Mary with a degree in English and sociology.

2001: Start of Political Career

In 2001, Jen Psaki began her career with the re-election campaigns of Iowa Democrats Tom Harkin and Tom Vilsack.

2002: Death of Genevieve Lambert

In 2002, Genevieve Lambert, Jen Psaki's maternal grandmother, passed away.

2004: Deputy Press Secretary for John Kerry

In 2004, Jen Psaki became the deputy press secretary for John Kerry's presidential campaign.

2005: Communications Director for Joseph Crowley

From 2005, Jen Psaki served as communications director to U.S. representative Joseph Crowley.

2006: Regional Press Secretary

From 2006, Jen Psaki served as regional press secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

2006: Meeting Greg Mecher

In 2006, Jen Psaki met Greg Mecher at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

2008: Traveling Press Secretary for Obama

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Jen Psaki served as the traveling press secretary for Barack Obama.

December 19, 2009: Promotion to Deputy Communications Director

On December 19, 2009, Jen Psaki was promoted to deputy communications director in the Obama White House.

2009: White House Appointment

In 2009, Jen Psaki became the White House deputy press secretary and also the White House deputy communications director.

2009: Death of Raoul Psaki

In 2009, Raoul Psaki, Jen Psaki's paternal grandfather, who was a combat medic during World War II and the Korean War, died.

May 8, 2010: Marriage to Greg Mecher

On May 8, 2010, Jen Psaki married Greg Mecher.

September 22, 2011: Joins Global Strategy Group

On September 22, 2011, Jen Psaki left her position as deputy communications director to become senior vice president and managing director at Global Strategy Group.

2011: Departure as Deputy Communications Director

In 2011, Jen Psaki concluded her tenure as the White House deputy communications director.

2012: Press Secretary for Obama Reelection Campaign

In 2012, Jen Psaki returned to political communications as press secretary for President Obama's reelection campaign.

February 11, 2013: Appointed State Department Spokesperson

On February 11, 2013, Jen Psaki became the spokesperson for the United States Department of State.

2013: State Department Spokesperson

In 2013, Jen Psaki became the spokesperson for the United States Department of State.

May 30, 2014: Announcement of Jay Carney's Replacement

On May 30, 2014, it was announced that Josh Earnest would replace White House press secretary Jay Carney, impacting speculation about Psaki's future role.

2015: Return to the White House

In 2015, Jen Psaki returned to the White House as communications director and stayed through the end of the Obama administration.

2015: White House Communications Director

In 2015, Jen Psaki returned to the White House as the communications director, serving through the end of the Obama administration.

February 7, 2017: Joins CNN as Political Commentator

On February 7, 2017, Jen Psaki began working as a political commentator on CNN.

2017: Political Contributor for CNN

In 2017, Jen Psaki became a political contributor for CNN.

November 2020: Joins Biden-Harris Transition Team

In November 2020, Jen Psaki left CNN and joined the Biden-Harris transition team, later being named White House press secretary.

2020: End of CNN Contribution

In 2020, Jen Psaki's time as a political contributor for CNN came to an end.

January 20, 2021: First Press Briefing

On January 20, 2021, Jen Psaki held her first press briefing as White House Press Secretary.

August 2021: Mention of Afghanistan Withdrawal

August 2021 marked the withdrawal from Afghanistan by the Biden Administration, which became a topic for a later interview with Jen Psaki.

March 22, 2022: Second Positive COVID-19 Test

On March 22, 2022, Jen Psaki tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in six months and did not accompany President Biden on his trip to Europe.

May 2022: Departure from White House

In May 2022, Jen Psaki concluded her tenure as the 34th White House Press Secretary under the Biden administration.

May 24, 2022: Joins MSNBC as Contributor

On May 24, 2022, MSNBC announced the hiring of Jen Psaki as a contributor.

February 2023: Announcement of New Program

In February 2023, MSNBC announced that Jen Psaki would host a new Sunday morning program, "Inside with Jen Psaki."

March 2023: Hosting "Inside with Jen Psaki"

In March 2023, Jen Psaki began hosting the talk show "Inside with Jen Psaki" on MSNBC.

March 19, 2023: Premiere of "Inside with Jen Psaki"

On March 19, 2023, Jen Psaki's new Sunday morning program, "Inside with Jen Psaki," premiered on MSNBC.

September 25, 2023: "Inside with Jen Psaki" Takes Over Prime Time Slot

On September 25, 2023, "Inside with Jen Psaki" took over MSNBC's Monday 8 p.m. Eastern prime time slot.

May 2024: Release of "Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World"

In May 2024, Jen Psaki released her book "Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World", which became a bestseller.

June 2024: Psaki Agrees to Interview

In June 2024, Jen Psaki agreed to appear before the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

July 13, 2024: Psaki Endorses Kamala Harris

On July 13, 2024, Jen Psaki endorsed Kamala Harris for president, expressing her full support.

July 26, 2024: Psaki Appears Before House Committee

On July 26, 2024, Jen Psaki appeared before the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs for a transcribed interview about the Biden Administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan.