Biden's Gay 'Bodyman' to Depart White House
(CNN) — Inside President Joe Biden's tight-knit inner circle, few -- if any -- White House aides have spent more time by his side in the last three years than Stephen Goepfert.
That will change at the end of this week.Goepfert, Biden's personal aide, is set to leave the White House for a role at the Transportation Department, marking the departure of a key cog on Biden's team who has been by the President's side at every major moment since the first months of his 2020 presidential campaign."From the campaign to the White House, Stephen Goepfert has been by my side," Biden said in a statement. "In moments big, small, and extraordinary, he's been a trusted and loyal confidant who everyone counts on and who always delivers.
Jill and I will miss Stephen, but we're proud that he will continue to serve the American people in his new role in the Biden-Harris administration as he continues his career in public service."The first White House staffer Biden sees most mornings, and the last he sees nearly every night, Goepfert's tenure as Biden's "bodyman" was marked by a keen understanding of the cadence and details, both big and small, that drive a man who has been a public official for more than four decades, according to senior advisers.While he may not be a household name, Goepfert is hard to miss -- he's the one with the beard in just about every Biden photo that includes staff, showing up on television to place remarks on the podium before a major Biden address or quietly emerging to slip Biden a note during a public event.Goepfert will be succeeded by Jacob Spreyer, who currently serves as the official White House receptionist.The role itself is all-consuming in any White House.
