State Department spokesman Ned Price will step down and move to a role working directly with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. File Photo courtesy U.S. Department of State
March 8 (UPI) — The State Department’s top spokesman Ned Price will step down later this month after more than two years on the job to assume a new role working directly for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Blinken released a statement Tuesday announcing the shakeup and thanking Price for his dedicated service.
“For people in America and around the world, Ned Price has often been a face and voice of U.S. foreign policy,” Blinken said. “He’s performed with extraordinary professionalism and integrity. On behalf of the Department, I thank Ned for his remarkable service.”
Blinken credited Price with resurrecting daily press briefings at the State Department that were largely scrapped during the previous administration, saying Price upheld government transparency by giving the media a fair “chance to regularly ask tough questions of our policy.”
“Ned has helped the U.S. government defend and promote press freedom around the globe and modeled the transparency and openness we advocate for in other countries,” Blinken said. “His contributions will benefit the Department long after his service.”
Price began his government career as an analyst for the CIA. From there he led press relations for the National Security Council in the Obama administration before he was appointed spokesperson of the State Department in January 2021 when President Joe Biden took office.
In February, Price was central to explaining the administration’s response to an alarming incident involving a Chinese surveillance balloon that Biden ordered shot down after it drifted across the country for several days.
“China acted irresponsibly by violating our sovereignty,” he said at the time. … “We acted responsibly and prudently to protect our interests. China, as a result, has a lot to answer for.”
In his new position under Blinken, Price will help set policies for the department, although his job description and areas of specialization were not fully disclosed. Also, there was no clear timeline for Price’s transition as the department did not announce the exact date of his move.
Vedant Patel, who had served as Price’s deputy, will slide over to the spokesperson role temporarily until a permanent replacement for Price is found, officials said.