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Symone Sanders was hurt when she was passed over for WH Press Secretary job

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She’s chasing a Washington dream. He’s the Night Mayor.​


Symone Sanders, senior adviser and chief spokeswoman for Vice President Harris, and her fiance, Shawn Townsend, director of D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s Office of Nightlife & Culture, are a power couple in Biden’s Washington. (André Chung for The Washington Post)
Image without a caption

By
Ben Terris
Reporter
May 8, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. EDT

It’s a Wednesday evening in April, and the ambiance at Old Ebbitt Grill, the historic tourist trap steps from the White House, feels familiar, if not exactly normal. The restaurant is operating at 25 percent capacity, per D.C’s covid-19 guidelines. A family with two young boys work their way through a mountain of french fries, waiters in black masks bring martinis to tables separated by transparent dividers, and a new political power couple tucks quietly into a back booth.

Symone Sanders, 31, senior adviser to Vice President Harris, has just come from work, wearing a camel-hair-colored shawl, her long, rainbow fingernails tapping on her phone.

“Sorry, I’ve just been knee-deep in the Northern Triangle,” she says, referring to the Central American nations whose citizens have fled in large numbers to America’s southern border.

Her fiance, Shawn Townsend, 37, sits slumped beside her in the booth. Sanders is the more-famous half of the couple — you might remember her body-blocking a stage-crasher rushing Joe Biden during the presidential campaign — but right now it’s Townsend, D.C.’s director of culture and nightlife, who is trying to avoid being recognized. Known around town as “The Night Mayor,” he spends much of his day fielding complaints about the city’s reopening plan, with many people wondering when his boss — the actual mayor, Muriel E. Bowser — is going to raise the capacity limits for Washington’s restaurants and bars.
Townsend pulls a houndstooth cabbie hat low on his forehead in order to avoid being spotted by a local bar owner who just walked in.
“I’ve got missed calls from him,” he says, sheepishly rubbing his goatee. “Does he see me? No, he doesn’t.”

If the Trump years were represented by couples like Jared and Ivanka, who were seen as having tension with their adopted city, and George and Kellyanne Conway, who were seen as having tension with one another, then maybe the Biden years will be defined by the likes of Sanders and Townsend. They are young, Black and in love, both working on different fronts to Make Washington Normal Again.

“This is your first time inside?” Sanders asks me, her voice gentle, as if talking to a stray puppy. “I was very against going into restaurants until Shawn showed me the data,” she continues, referring to the city’s coronavirus dashboard, which indicates that outbreaks identified by the city seldom have been traced to food-retail buildings. “So I said, ‘Okay, I guess it’s safe now.’ ”

“I went out with a colleague,” Townsend chimes in. “I didn’t know it was his first time out back in March. He kept his mask on in between chews. Eating tacos! He ended up leaving early.”

Which was honestly where I was at, mentally, when the couple suggested Old Ebbitt. Sanders was right; it was my first time inside a restaurant in over a year. After my second vaccine dose, I’d set an enthusiastic calendar notification — “Two weeks are up! You can eat inside!” — but that date was still almost a week away. Sanders and Townsend were both fully vaccinated and weren’t sweating my antibody count. Still, I felt jumpy, circumspect, socially inept.

Which is why we’re here at Old Ebbitt, the anteroom of normal, eating and drinking in a roomful of unmasked strangers. The goal of this restaurant — with its massive oil paintings of nude women and its bottomless supply of oysters — has always been to bend time, to make guests feel as if they slipped back into a Washington of yore. To transport them to an imagined era of comity and bipartisanship, or now, at the very least, to the Before Times of 2019, when eating the fried food here carried more health risks than breathing in the smell.

“The calamari here is good,” Sanders said, squeezing lemon juice over a plate of deep-fried squid and pushing the plate into the center of the table.

It may take some time for Americans to feel comfortable returning to shared tables and (gasp!) shared plates — let alone a shared vision of the country. The barriers to normal are structural, financial and medical, but they are also psychological. After the anxiety and trauma of pandemic life, a return to normal seems like deliverance. Then again, normal is how things felt in Washington right before Democrats elsewhere nearly nominated a far-left revolutionary while Republicans went all-in on a TV businessman with a penchant for authoritarianism and a vanishingly thin connection to reality. Whether you were on Team Revolution or Team Nostalgia, Washington was the enemy. Normal wasn’t working.

“We must reject the concept of ‘normalcy,’ ” Sanders later wrote in a memoir. Instead of returning things to the way things were, the goal should be “redefining what it means to be ‘normal.’ ”

In 2015, for her, that meant joining Bernie Sanders’s campaign for president. She took the job because she shared enough of Bernie’s politics, and also because his was the only campaign that returned her calls. In her interview, Sanders recalls telling the senator from Vermont that she wanted to be named national press secretary and that she wanted to be on cable television. And despite having little experience, they agreed. One of her first tasks was to help Bernie Sanders deal with a Black Lives Matter movement that kept derailing his rallies.

“Disruption is an effective tool, and at its core it’s about attention,” she wrote in her book. And so, she wrote, she made it a “personal mission” to help communicate the issues fueling the disruptions, getting in touch with BLM activists ahead of events and brokering listening sessions. “It worked,” she wrote. “The disruptions ceased to exist.”

In her memoir, Symone Sanders took care to make a distinction that others sometimes did not. “I know when I was hired to work on Senator Sanders’s campaign I was often referred to as a Black Lives Matter activist (LOL),” she writes. “I am not an activist. I like to say I play one on TV.”

Playing different roles comes naturally to Symone Sanders, who wrote in her memoir that, "Faking it until you make it is sometimes OK." As a kid she had an alter ego, pantomiming telecasts into hairbrushes and calling herself "Donna Burns." After working for Bernie, she became a real-life pundit, working for CNN, and then linked up with Biden in 2020. Her supporters call that kind of flexibility necessary to being successful in politics. The detractors say it's a sign that she's never stopped faking-it-until-she-makes-it, and that the only thing she truly stands for is Symone Sanders.

She is something of a classic — and often derided — Washington archetype: the consummate operator, able to skate from one type of politician (a democratic socialist) to another (an establishment favorite) depending on whose coattails seem more promising. She carries herself with a kind of self-promotional swagger that can rub people the wrong way. Not a lot of political staffers publish memoirs at age 30; hers is peppered with advice about getting ahead. “No one is going to hand you power or open the door for you to voice your opinion or your desires,” she writes. “You have to demand it.”

The book’s title, “No, You Shut Up,” refers to a CNN segment about the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville in which Sanders appeared opposite former Virginia attorney general (and future Donald Trump appointee) Ken Cuccinelli. Feeling steamrolled, Cuccinelli told her to “shut up for a minute.” Sanders wasn’t having it. “You should exhibit some decorum, and understand that you are trying to defend and excuse white supremacists on this program,” she responded through a hail of crosstalk, “and under no circumstances will I sit by while that happens. So you can shut up.”

“I think she has integrity,” said Cornel West, a prominent Bernie supporter who has heard complaints about “Sister Symone” being a turncoat for eschewing Bernie for Biden. “Still, I was surprised by her shift. She spoke for Bernie with such heart and such power.” Ultimately, West said, “I think she just wanted to go with a winner.”

She picked a winner, but the winner didn’t pick her back. Sanders had made it known, privately and in her book, that she hoped to be the first Black woman to hold the job of press secretary. Biden instead chose Jen Psaki, a former communications director for President Barack Obama, for the job. “That one stung her,” said Bakari Sellers, a mutual friend of Townsend and Sanders.

Sellers said Sanders “spent a lot of capital” in that job, oftentimes asked to defend Biden when the campaign “had a problem with the Black community” (like, for example, when Biden put his foot in his mouth by telling Charlamagne Tha God that if anyone was having a “problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t Black.”)

“These moments were not few and far between,” Sellers said. “They would send Symone out to take those bullets. . . . And then to be passed over, that hurt.

It was a difficult time, Townsend will admit. “She was definitely hopeful that she would have that opportunity,” he told me.

Whether Sanders’s brand-building and vocal desire for the job kept her from the podium is a much-debated question among her peers in the administration. It’s perfectly normal for ambition, even the undisguised kind, to be rewarded in Washington — certainly among White, male operators trying to win the attention and favor of other White, male operators. Like many Black women, Sanders faces the extraordinary challenge of climbing the professional ladder while navigating fragile egos. These days, she tries to minimize any talk about her personal ambition. “I want to tamp down on any of the ‘what’s next on the job lol’ pieces of this story,” she texted me before dinner. “I’m very happy where I am.”

She’s inside the gate. And she was overjoyed to get that call from Harris, says Townsend. “To get that call from the VP offering her a job, she was incredibly grateful,” he says. “I still have a picture on my phone of her getting that call, in tears.”

A few weeks after our dinner, Psaki made a ripple in Washington media when she told fellow Obama alum David Axelrod that she plans to relinquish the podium after a year or so. “I think it’s going to be time for somebody else to have this job,” she said.

I texted Sanders and asked if she was going to try to level up. She deflected the question with ease. “I am happy where I am with what I’m doing,” she reiterated. “And it’s keeping me very very busy!”


Read full story:

She’s chasing a Washington dream. He’s the Night Mayor.
 
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KeiraNyongo

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Symone was using Biden for political clout after flopping with Sanders and Biden was using her to make gains into the black community. They both used each other so I am not sure why she was expecting some undying loyalty. No shade to Symone but Psaki is way more experienced and competent. Biden made the right choice.
 

Flylady2.0

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Symone Sanders is a perfect representation of all that's wrong with black liberals, she was down to ride or die for the white man and in the end doesn't even get a seat at the big kids table
 

Ashy to Ashes

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So she basically said she don’t give a damn about activism and just wants to get ahead. Using BLM to benefit herself and yet she got played, lol.
 

Tenochtitlan

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She did all that wrestling and protecting of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and that's where they want to keep her.
 
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nsquared

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Symone switched teams just like KellyAnne did. Why is it a thing because Symone did it? Whatever. It is not unheard of.

Jen Psaki was a good choice for Biden, IMO. Symone was not ready at that time, and I am not sure she is ready now.

That said, she is clearly going to be a player in DC.
 

cozy

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Whether Sanders’s brand-building and vocal desire for the job kept her from the podium is a much-debated question among her peers in the administration. It’s perfectly normal for ambition, even the undisguised kind, to be rewarded in Washington — certainly among White, male operators trying to win the attention and favor of other White, male operators. Like many Black women, Sanders faces the extraordinary challenge of climbing the professional ladder while navigating fragile egos. These days, she tries to minimize any talk about her personal ambition. “I want to tamp down on any of the ‘what’s next on the job lol’ pieces of this story,” she texted me before dinner. “I’m very happy where I am.”
She should’ve moved in silence and lobbied the decision makers in private in regards to her career ambitions. I’ve noticed the people who are most vocal about their goals are usually all talk in public and don’t really put in the work behind the scenes to actually make sure they are successful.

I know it’s going to sting if she gets passed over again. The bolded is really interesting even though I don’t think that’s her problem.
 

Sallie Blair

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What I got from this article is that nobody trusts her. They'll use her as an attack dog, but they'll never give her the prominence she craves because her loyalty is to herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she was with this man to ingratiate herself into DC political circles as a backup plan if the Biden admin never knocks on her door. I'm not mad at her at all, but she doesn't seem to know how to hide her hand. This article even existing and laying out everything is proof of that.
 

drkjourney1

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Say what you want, but Jen is a beast at Press Secretary. She suffers no fools from that podium. She had extensive experience in that vein of public relations.

Now, after Symone has spent time as Kamala’s PS, she may have a wider understanding of how the game is played from inside that level. I hope she gets a shot. That said I don’t fault Biden for picking Khalessi as his PS to handle up on those reporters, who still treat conferences like a gotcha Q&A period.
 

HexxeH

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You have to be in the running to get passed over...

She was awful during the campaign season, her short snippy answers and circular retorts. She's a fast talker who knows how to blow hot air without saying a word which must be a prerequisite for the job.

The new one will be YT or Latina. Bet money on it.
 

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Symone was using Biden for political clout after flopping with Sanders and Biden was using her to make gains into the black community. They both used each other so I am not sure why she was expecting some undying loyalty. No shade to Symone but Psaki is way more experienced and competent. Biden made the right choice.
And she still isn't wrapped too tight. She lacks maturity. Why is she or her associates divulging this info while she currently is serving? This kind of interview is what got Desiree ran out of DC. Some things you keep to yourself or save for divulging after office.....for a future memoir. All she did was reaffirmed that Biden made the right decision in choosing someone else over her if she or her people are going to run their mouth. She still doesn't get it.
 
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suzanne

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You have to be in the running to get passed over...

She was awful during the campaign season, her short snippy answers and circular retorts. She's a fast talker who knows how to blow hot air without saying a word which must be a prerequisite for the job.

The new one will be YT or Latina. Bet money on it.
I wasn't a fan of Sarah Huckabee, but she earned every penny for the amount of spin she put into that press secretary job considering who she represented.
 

LalaSharp

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I'm not sure what they (Symone & her man) wanted to get from this article. It's not a great look. Jen P. is bodying that PressSec job.

I think this interview kinda shows why Symone shouldn't have been the PressSec.

Is her man the father of her boys? (I think they may have been referring to another couple with kids.)

I'm still not eating inside yet, definitely not with unvaccinated kids but the article made me want some Old Ebbitt.
 
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KeiraNyongo

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And she still isn't wrapped too tight. She lacks maturity. Why is she or her associates divulging this info while she currently is serving? These kinds of interviews is what got Desiree ran out of DC. Some things you keep to yourself or save for divulging after office.....for a future memoir. All she did was reaffirmed that Biden made the right decision in choosing someone else over her if she or her people are going to run their mouth. She still doesn't get it.
'
Exactly. Very well put.
 

sarellasand

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Symone was using Biden for political clout after flopping with Sanders and Biden was using her to make gains into the black community. They both used each other so I am not sure why she was expecting some undying loyalty. No shade to Symone but Psaki is way more experienced and competent. Biden made the right choice.

tumblr_mzwz44MZYY1tq4of6o1_400.gif
 

suzanne

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I'm not sure what they (Symone & her man) wanted to get from this article. It's not a great look. Jen P. is bodying that PressSec job.

I think this interview kinda shows why Symone shouldn't have been the PressSec.

Is her man the father of her boys?


I'm still not eating inside yet, definitely not with unvaccinated kids but the article made me want some Old Ebbitt.
Wait...Symone has children???
 

O.o

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And she still isn't wrapped too tight. She lacks maturity. Why is she or her associates divulging this info while she currently is serving? These kinds of interviews is what got Desiree ran out of DC. Some things you keep to yourself or save for divulging after office.....for a future memoir. All she did was reaffirmed that Biden made the right decision in choosing someone else over her if she or her people are going to run their mouth. She still doesn't get it.
I was going to tag you, but you're already here! Thank you for this feedback.

I wouldn't do ANY interviews if I worked for VP.

Harris has even more on the line because she has goals past VP.

I'm not sure what the reason for this interview is.
 

Chriss Angel

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Jen is only serving for 1 year, so like others, I don't know why this article exists. A black woman will be Press Secretary, but it won't be her. Karine is going to get that job. You can see she's being groomed for it.
 

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I was going to tag you, but you're already here! Thank you for this feedback.

I wouldn't do ANY interviews if I worked for VP.

Harris has even more on the line because she has goals past VP.

I'm not sure what the reason for this interview is.
The interviewer pointed out her long nails too. How ghetto and I like Symone. She just wasnt the right person for that role
 

Cinnahs

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Symone does not have the chops to be Press Secretary. I have nothing against her but she is not qualified for that job. I have yet to see any of her work in her capacity as Spokeswoman for the Vice President.

Karine Jean Pierre is being groomed for the role of Press Secretary. Karine actually has more experience in this capacity and will likely do a better job. I do not know why Symone is spilling her tea like this but it comes across as messy and not ready for prime time.
 
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chico

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Symone was using Biden for political clout after flopping with Sanders and Biden was using her to make gains into the black community. They both used each other so I am not sure why she was expecting some undying loyalty. No shade to Symone but Psaki is way more experienced and competent. Biden made the right choice.


facts
 

SeventeenDayze

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Symonr does not have the chops to be Press Secretary. I have nothing against her but she is not qualified for that job. I have yet to see any of her work in her capacity as Spokeswoman for the Vice President
Karine Jean Pierre is being groomed for the role of Press Secretary. Karine actually has more experience in this capacity and will likely do a better job. I do not know why Symonr is spilling her tea like this but it comes across as messy and not ready for prime time.
Some people don't know how to move in silence. And too many people put all their opinions and whatnot on the internet.
 

YourRights

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That article doesn’t read well at all....damn why would she do this?

you landed such great punches before and was able to somehow succeed with your appearance is the yt spaces of politics and now you’re fumbling the bag, Symone...

the author of this here article is reading her for filth.
 

blindsocialist

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Playing different roles comes naturally to Symone Sanders, who wrote in her memoir that, "Faking it until you make it is sometimes OK."
THE PROBLEM IS THIS IS LITERALLY ALL SYMONE DOES. and she seems to never be interested in actually being good at her job, JUST faking it.
 

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I was "hurt" when i didn't go first round in the NFL draft. I was also delusional. Symone stays delusional when people have told her repeatedly she doesn't have the skillset she thinks she does.

what was the here point of this here article? Lmao!!
are they really a power couple in dc? she seems more lucky than smart.
 

blindsocialist

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Symonr does not have the chops to be Press Secretary. I have nothing against her but she is not qualified for that job. I have yet to see any of her work in her capacity as Spokeswoman for the Vice President
Karine Jean Pierre is being groomed for the role of Press Secretary. Karine actually has more experience in this capacity and will likely do a better job. I do not know why Symonr is spilling her tea like this but it comes across as messy and not ready for prime time.
this is all truth.
 

Southernchic

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what was the here point of this here article? Lmao!!
are they really a power couple in dc? she seems more lucky than smart.
Someone on lsa posted his salary he’s like $120k-ish which is good but I wouldn’t consider that to be a power player in DC lol people make money out there
 

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