Robert Gibbs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Gibbs
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| 27th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 2009 – February 11, 2011 |
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| President | Barack Obama |
| Deputy | Jen Psaki Bill Burton |
| Preceded by | Dana Perino |
| Succeeded by | Jay Carney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Robert Lane Gibbs
March 29, 1971 Auburn, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Gibbs |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | North Carolina State University (BA) |
Robert Lane Gibbs (born March 29, 1971) is an American expert in communication. He worked as the global chief communications officer for McDonald's from 2015 to 2019. Before that, he was the 27th White House Press Secretary from 2009 to 2011.
As a top executive at McDonald's, Gibbs was in charge of how the company talked to the public. Before joining McDonald's, he was a political advisor and commentator. He served as the White House Press Secretary during the first part of Barack Obama's time as president.
Gibbs started working with Obama in 2004. He was the communications director for Obama when he was a senator. He also worked on Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. Later, he was a senior advisor for Obama's campaign in 2012.
Before joining Obama's team, Gibbs was a press secretary for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. He also worked on several campaigns for senators. This included being the communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He also worked for four individual Senate campaigns, including Obama's in 2004. In 2024, he became the communications chief for Warner Brothers Discovery.
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Early Life and Education
Gibbs was born in Auburn, Alabama. His parents, Nancy Jean and Robert Coleman Gibbs, worked at the Auburn University library. They introduced their son to politics when he was young. Nancy Gibbs would take Robert, who was called "Bobby" back then, to local League of Women Voters meetings. She also involved him in helping people register to vote.
Gibbs went to Auburn City Schools and Auburn High School. At Auburn High, he played the saxophone in the band. He was also a goalkeeper on the soccer team. Gibbs was part of the school's debate team too. He graduated from Auburn High in 1989.
He then went to North Carolina State University. He played goalkeeper for the soccer team from 1990 to 1992. Gibbs graduated in 1993 with a degree in political science.
While at North Carolina State in 1991, Gibbs became an intern for Congressman Glen Browder from Alabama. Gibbs quickly moved up in Browder's staff. He became the representative's executive assistant in Washington, D.C.. In 1996, Gibbs returned to Alabama to work on Browder's campaign for the U.S. Senate.
Career Highlights
Early Political Roles
In 1997, Robert Gibbs worked as a press secretary for Congressman Bob Etheridge of North Carolina. In 1998, he was a spokesperson for Senator Fritz Hollings' successful re-election campaign. He worked on campaigns for two other senators. He also served as the communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. After these roles, he became the press secretary for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
Working with Barack Obama
Gibbs joined Barack Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign as the communications director. He stayed with Obama for the first two years of his time as a senator. Many people say Gibbs helped guide Obama during these early years. He also helped Obama become well-known across the country.
Gibbs advised Obama on politics, strategy, and how to share his message. He spent more time with Obama than almost any other advisor.
2008 Presidential Campaign
During the 2008 presidential election, Gibbs was Obama's Communications Chief. He was known for quickly responding to opponents' claims. He worked to shape the campaign's message. He also dealt with the constant news cycle and talked with reporters.
Gibbs quickly responded to claims from some news outlets that questioned Obama's religious background. He shared information that Obama was not, and had never been, Muslim. Gibbs said these claims were "malicious" and "irresponsible."
When George W. Bush made comments in Israel that seemed to question Obama's foreign policy ideas, Gibbs responded. He called Bush's comments "astonishing." Gibbs argued that Bush's approach was like "cowboy diplomacy" and quoted Bush's own Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, to support his point.
White House Press Secretary
On November 22, 2008, it was announced that Gibbs would be the White House Press Secretary for the Obama administration. He officially started this job on January 20, 2009. His first official press briefing was on January 22. As Press Secretary, he was the main spokesperson for the President and the White House.
On January 5, 2011, Gibbs announced he would leave the White House. He wanted to become an outside advisor to the administration. He officially left his position on February 11, 2011.
After Government Service
After leaving the White House, Robert Gibbs became a contributor for the cable news channel MSNBC in February 2013. He also joined the board of directors for Yelp in June 2012.
In June 2013, Gibbs started a communications company called The Incite Agency with Ben LaBolt. He was a partner there until 2015. In 2015, he left Incite to become the chief communications officer for McDonald's Corporation. He held this position until October 2019. In March 2020, he became a senior counsel at Bully Pulpit Interactive.
In August 2020, Gibbs became a co-host of the U.S. political podcast "Hacks On Tap." He joined David Axelrod and Mike Murphy. In June 2024, Gibbs was named Head of Communications for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Personal Life
Robert Gibbs is married to Mary Catherine Gibbs, who is an attorney. They live in Alexandria, Virginia, with their son, Ethan. His parents live in Apex, North Carolina. His mother, Nancy, is a director at Duke University Libraries.
