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 a top communications leader for McDonald's from 2015 to 2019. Before that, he was the 27th White House Press Secretary from 2009 to 2011.
As a high-level executive, Gibbs was in charge of how McDonald's talked to the public. Before joining McDonald's, he was a political advisor. He worked as the White House Press Secretary during the first part of Barack Obama's time as president. Gibbs had worked with Obama since 2004. He was the communications director for Obama when he was a Senator. He also helped with Obama's campaign to become president in 2008. Later, he was a senior advisor for Obama's campaign in 2012.
Before working with Obama, Gibbs was the press secretary for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. He also worked on several campaigns for senators. He was the communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. He helped with four different Senate campaigns, including Obama's in 2004. He also worked for Senator Fritz Hollings in 1998. Gibbs was announced as President Obama's press secretary on November 22, 2008. He officially started on January 20, 2009. His first official press briefing was on January 22. In 2024, he became the communications chief for Warner Brothers Discovery.
Early Life and Education
Robert Gibbs was born in Auburn, Alabama. His parents, Nancy Jean and Robert Coleman Gibbs, worked in the Auburn University library. They got their son involved in politics when he was young. Nancy Gibbs would take Robert, who was called "Bobby" then, to local League of Women Voters meetings. She also had him help with voter registration work.
Robert Gibbs' High School Years
Gibbs went to schools in Auburn City, including Auburn High School. At Auburn High, Gibbs played the saxophone in the school band. He was also a goalkeeper on the soccer team. He was part of the school's debate team. Gibbs finished high school in 1989.
College Life and Studies
Gibbs went to North Carolina State University. He played goalkeeper for the North Carolina State Wolfpack soccer team from 1990 to 1992. He graduated from North Carolina State in 1993. He earned a degree in political science.
While in college in 1991, Gibbs worked as an intern for Congressman Glen Browder from Alabama. Gibbs quickly moved up in Browder's team. He became the congressman's executive assistant in Washington, D.C.. In 1996, Gibbs went back to Alabama. He worked on Browder's campaign for the U.S. Senate that year.
Robert Gibbs' Career Journey
Working as a Congressional Press Secretary
In 1997, Gibbs was the press secretary for Congressman Bob Etheridge of North Carolina. In 1998, he was the 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.
Role in the 2004 Presidential Election
Early in the 2004 presidential campaign, Gibbs was the press secretary for Democratic candidate John Kerry. On November 11, 2003, Gibbs left Kerry's campaign. This happened after the candidate let go of his campaign manager. After leaving the Kerry campaign, Gibbs became a spokesperson for a political group. This group worked to stop the presidential campaign of Howard Dean.
Advising Senator Barack Obama
Gibbs joined Barack Obama's 2004 U.S. Senate campaign in April 2004. He worked as the communications director. He stayed with Obama for the first two years of his time as a senator. Many people say Gibbs helped Obama during these early years. He also helped Obama become well-known across the country.
According to The New York Times, Gibbs gave Obama advice on politics and how to share his message. He spent more time with Obama than almost any other advisor.
Work During the 2008 Presidential Election
When Obama chose Gibbs to be his Communications Chief, some people had concerns. They pointed to Gibbs' past work in the 2004 race. However, Obama called Gibbs his "one-person Southern focus group." He welcomed Gibbs to his close team. This team included strategist David Axelrod and campaign director David Plouffe.
In his communications role, Gibbs became known for his quick responses. He would quickly fight back against wrong information from opponents. Gibbs was in charge of shaping the campaign's message. He also talked with the press and responded to news stories. He worked to counter tactics used by the Republican National Committee against Obama in early 2007.
Gibbs quickly responded to claims from some news outlets. These claims questioned Obama's religious background. In response to the idea that "Obama is a Muslim" that spread online, Gibbs shared information. He made it clear that Obama was not and had never been Muslim. At the time, Gibbs said these "irresponsible charges" were the kind of politics people were tired of.
After comments by George W. Bush in Israel, Gibbs responded. Bush had questioned Obama's focus on international talks. Gibbs called Bush's comments "astonishing" and "an unprecedented attack on foreign soil." Gibbs argued that Bush's approach was like "cowboy diplomacy." He said Bush's own Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, had disagreed with it.
Gibbs was criticized by some news executives. They said he kept reporters from Obama and Hillary Clinton when they met after a close primary election. Gibbs replied that it was "not an attempt to deceive." He said they were just private meetings.
Serving as 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 started this job on January 20, 2009. He gave his first official press briefing on January 22, 2009.
In an interview with The Hill newspaper, Gibbs talked about some people who were very critical. He said they "wouldn't be satisfied if Dennis Kucinich was president." He also said that people who compared Obama's policies to George W. Bush's "ought to be drug tested."
Gibbs caused some discussion when he said that the drone killing of a 16-year-old boy was justified. He stated that the boy "should [have] had a more responsible father."
On January 5, 2011, Gibbs announced he would leave the White House. He planned to become an outside advisor to the administration. He officially left his position on February 11, 2011.
Post-Government Career
On February 12, 2013, it was announced that Gibbs would be a contributor for the cable news channel MSNBC. His first appearance was that same night. In June 2012, Gibbs joined the board of directors for Yelp. In June 2013, Gibbs and Ben LaBolt started a communications company called The Incite Agency. Gibbs was a partner there until 2015.
He left Incite in 2015 to become the chief communications officer for McDonald's Corporation. He held this job until October 2019. In March 2020, he became a senior counsel at Bully Pulpit Interactive. This company had bought The Incite Agency in 2016.
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
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, works for Duke University Libraries.
