The White House senior staff reportedly held wellness meetings for aides who may be struggling with Israel’s defensive measures taken against the Hamas terror group.
The meetings, termed “listening sessions,” featured serious “discussions” about the war and its impact on White House aides, eight officials told Politico.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan conducted one virtual wellness check staff meeting on October 13. About 100 staffers attended, which Politico described as a review of the Biden administration’s position on the war while emphasizing that “not everyone agrees with it and has their own strong, personal feelings about the fighting.”
One official told Politico the wellness meetings focused on a pervasive “culture of fear” and a counteractive culture of support.
Some meetings were split between Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, and Jewish aides. Senior leaders “wanted our team — many who have served in the region and have family or colleagues there — to know these are tough times across the board, and that we need to check on one another,” one White House official told the outlet.