Josh Earnest

So much has changed for Josh Earnest in the last two months: He has a fancy new title as White House press secretary, a large office just steps away from the Oval Office, and a press corps parsing his every word before a gaggle of cameras each day. 
 


But even in his new role, Earnest is trying to keep much the same — mostly when it comes to his interaction with the press corps. Talk to most White House reporters and they’d describe the newly tapped mouthpiece in one word: “nice.”And even though he has to do battle with reporters each day, he’d like to keep that rapport intact. 
 


{mosads}”I don’t want my new role as press secretary to change the relationship with reporters that I have worked with every day for the last five-and-a-half years,” Earnest said. “I want to continue to be an accessible and reliable source of information about the president, the White House and the priorities we’re fighting for.”



”Having been the option of first resort for White House reporters when my office was right outside the briefing room, I hope those closed-door conversations that are now taking place in a very public setting will continue to be authentic,” he added.
 


Part of Earnest’s charm, say those who know him, is that he isn’t a large personality. The Kansas City native is shy, friends say, humble, and — oddly enough — likes to remain out of the public spotlight, spending downtime with close friends and family.



And just like his professional world, his personal life is changing, too. Earnest and his wife of two years, Natalie, are expecting a baby in the coming days. 



”My life has never been more full,” Earnest said. “And it’s never been better.”


— Amie Parnes