Political shift: Karine Jean-Pierre quits Democratic Party; Biden-era press secretary's memoir to detail ‘broken' White House, says publisher
Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary in the
Joe Biden
administration (2021-2025) has left the Democratic Party and is writing a candid memoir about the 'broken' White House she once served, according to the book's publisher.
"Jean-Pierre didn't come to her decision to be an Independent lightly. She has served two American presidents, Obama and Biden. In 2020, she joined Biden's campaign as a senior adviser, becoming Harris's chief of staff and then, two years later, White House press secretary. She takes us through the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision," states the publisher Hachette Book Group, providing details on its website.
The 50-year-old communications veteran, who was the first Black woman and openly gay person to hold the press secretary role, revealed her book Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines is scheduled for release on October 21 through Legacy Lit, a Hachette Book Group imprint.
'Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,' Jean-Pierre said Wednesday, according to statement quoted by the Associated Press.
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'At noon on that day, I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes.
We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically," she further added, according to the statement.
Jean-Pierre's departure from the Democratic Party is described by her publisher as a thoughtful evolution rather than a sudden break.
Legacy Lit teased that the memoir will detail the three-week period leading to Biden's surprising decision to withdraw from his 2024 re-election bid - a choice Jean-Pierre attributes partly to a 'betrayal by the Democratic Party.' The book also reportedly aims to expose insider perspectives on combating electoral misinformation and offers insights on why an increasing number of Americans are rejecting traditional party labels.
'In a hard-hitting yet hopeful critique, Jean-Pierre defines what it means to be part of the growing percentage of our fractured electorate that is Independent,' the publisher's statement reads. 'Why it can be worthwhile to carve a political space more loyal to personal beliefs than a party affiliation, and what questions you need to ask yourself to determine where you fit politically.'
Jean-Pierre, who joined Biden's campaign as senior adviser in 2020 and replaced Jen Psaki as press secretary in 2022, faced sustained criticism during her White House tenure.
Her repeated defenses of Biden's mental acuity — including claims that the president was 'sharp as ever' despite mounting doubts- sparked skepticism both inside and outside the administration.
In one contentious briefing, she asserted that Biden's mention of the late Republican congresswoman Jackie Walorski was because the lawmaker was 'top of mind,' a defense met with incredulity by the press corps. She also survived an internal effort in late 2023 led by then-White House communications chief Anita Dunn to oust her, amid dissatisfaction with her performance.
'She doesn't have a grasp of the issues and doesn't spend the time to learn,' a White House insider said at the time.
Despite this, Biden stood by Jean-Pierre throughout, valuing her historic role as the first non-white and openly gay press secretary.
Jean-Pierre ended her tenure with an emotional farewell briefing in January that caused friction among aides after she declined to share the stage with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby during a major hostage release announcement.
'She basically said it was her goodbye party,' a source said. 'She kinda marketed it as a celebration of her and her tenure, and unfortunately, that took precedence over huge breaking news.
'
The forthcoming memoir is already drawing sharp reactions from Democratic circles. One senior Democrat dismissed the book as proof of 'incompetence, not independence,' while another admitted they 'can't look away'.
Jean-Pierre herself teased the book on Instagram Wednesday, urging voters to 'stop thinking in boxes and think outside of our boxes, and not be so partisan … this book Independent, it's about looking outside of boxes, not just always being in a partisan stance.'
Independent aims to join the small canon of White House press secretary memoirs that peel back the curtain on presidential administrations, including Scott McClellan's 2008 bestseller What Happened, which famously criticized President George W. Bush's leadership.
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