Key facts
- White House assistant press secretary Beni Rae Harmony posed for a 2021 photograph wearing a "Fuck Joe Biden" T-shirt and holding a rifle.
- The photograph was posted on Instagram by Republican House candidate Jarome Bell.
- Harmony previously worked as a producer for Jack Posobiec and a press aide for Paul Gosar and Matt Gaetz.
- The White House defended Harmony, stating she has been a "trusted voice for the MAGA movement."
- Harmony previously worked as a White House correspondent for Real America's Voice.
The White House has defended Beni Rae Harmony, a newly hired assistant press secretary, after a photograph surfaced showing her wearing a "Fuck Joe Biden" T-shirt and holding a rifle in 2021. The image was posted on Instagram by Jarome Bell, a far-right Republican House candidate.
Harmony, 24, previously worked as a producer for Jack Posobiec and as a press aide for Republican congressman Paul Gosar and former congressman Matt Gaetz. She also served as a White House correspondent for Real America's Voice, a partisan outlet.
The photograph, which showed Harmony and an older man in matching shirts with rifles, was posted in November 2021. Harmony appeared to verify its authenticity on social media in December 2021, identifying the older man as her uncle.
In response to the resurfaced image, White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly issued a statement praising Harmony's advocacy for Donald Trump's Make America Great Again movement and calling her an "outstanding addition" to the communications team.