New Accusations Reveal that Jill Biden’s Office is Abusive, Comparisons Made to “The Devil Wears Prada”

An advisor to Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal, has been described as the most powerful person in the office of the first lady, who already holds a highly influential elevated role, as outlined in a recent Vogue puff piece.

Bernal is also reportedly somewhat of a tyrant.

“[T]he 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,” Politico reported.

In Bernal’s “pursuit of perfection” for FLOTUS, Politico said, the advisor has treated staffers poorly, so poorly that the atmosphere has been likened to the movie “The Devil Wears Prada.”

“Many described him as ‘berating’ and ‘toxic’ because of his unfiltered criticism of others and tendency to trash talk his colleagues behind their backs,” the report said. “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.’”

The report detailed Bernal’s alleged behavior toward staffers, some of whom apparently “surreptitiously” recorded the advisor during meetings:

Stories of Bernal making staffers cry are an open secret in the Biden world with seemingly everyone knowing someone who has been on the receiving end. Two former campaign staffers said they heard Bernal call people “stupid” in meetings or over the phone. During the campaign and in the White House, some staffers felt the behavior was so noxious that they began surreptitiously recording him in meetings, according to two officials who others confided in about recording him. West Wing Playbook has not heard the recordings. The First Lady’s office did not address the recordings in their comment.

While Bernal carries the low-key title of “advisor to the first lady,” planning for nearly every event or speech, along with political requests, goes through him, Democrats inside and outside the White House say. 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,” said JULISSA REYNOSO, the First Lady’s chief of staff. "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.”

Stories of Bernal making staffers cry are an open secret in the Biden world with seemingly everyone knowing someone who has been on the receiving end. Two former campaign staffers said they heard Bernal call people “stupid” in meetings or over the phone. During the campaign and in the White House, some staffers felt the behavior was so noxious that they began surreptitiously recording him in meetings, according to two officials who others confided in about recording him. West Wing Playbook has not heard the recordings. The First Lady’s office did not address the recordings in their comment.

“He has a constituency of one and he’s very effective on her behalf,” said one Biden official familiar with the dynamic. “The problem is that no one who has worked with him trusts him, and that’s not good for him or her.”

Jen Psaki was asked several days ago about an "anonymous source" which claimed that a top Jill Biden advisor was abusive towards staffers.

In typical fashion, she dodged the question, instead doubting the reliability of anonymous sources all together.