Latest news with #LegacyLit
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Karine Jean-Pierre Is Bailing on the Democratic Party…For Good
While the Republican party continues to deal with the fallout from Elon Musk's attacks on President Donald Trump, it seems the Democrats are also doing some soul searching. After one of the most notable spokespersons of their party has decided to turn their back, she's drawing shocking criticism with her new book. Karine Jean-Pierre served as former President Joe Biden's press secretary from 2022 to 2025, when he left office. Known for her fiery exchanges with reporters and politicians across the aisle, Jean-Pierre is prepping to release her new book titled 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.' But although it hasn't dropped yet, it's already faces criticism for one shocking reason. According to a press release for her book, Jean-Pierre is taking a step back from the Democratic party and planning to register as an Independent. 'In a country obsessed with blind loyalty to a two-party democratic system, Karine Jean-Pierre… shares why Americans must step beyond party lines to embrace life as Independents,' the release read. The motivation behind Jean-Pierre's departure from the Democrats seems to stem from the treatment of Biden around campaign season. The former president faced bipartisan backlash after his mental and physical health was questioned while he was still in the race against Trump. As his press secretary, Jean-Pierre handled daily inquires about Biden's mental state. But she said watching her party turn against Biden was the most shocking of all. In a statement for Legacy Lit Jean-Pierre said, 'I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes.' Now, she's urging folks to look at the dangers of a bipartisan system, which America's first president, George Washington, famously warned about centuries ago. After former Vice President Kamala Harris' devastating loss to Trump, the Democrats were sent back to the drawing board in hopeful preparation for the 2028 election. But in the mean time, criticism from the former face of the Biden administration can't be good for party morale. Democrats came out with acute criticisms for her. Former aide to Joe Manchin III, Sen. Jonathan Kott, said he's 'sick and tired of Democrats not being proud to be Democrats and fighting for what we believe in.' He continued, according to the New York Times, 'If you lost the will to fight, then get out of the party.' On the flip side, Black folks online responded praising Jean-Pierre for finally waking up. 'Karine Jean-Pierre is speaking for a lot of black women. You can call her newly declared political status a stunt but it's not,' @2Strong2Silence said on X. 'The 92 [percent] said they were centering themselves & declaring oneself free from a party that wants to chase white men is a start.' 'See the way people are piling on Karine Jean-Pierre DESPITE the ACTUAL premise of her book & declaring herself Independent,' @darryn_briggs began. 'This is PRECISELY the reason many of us KNEW it was dangerous for Kamala Harris to be the nominee.' Another user, @Needle_of_Arya, said 'between (how they've treated) Karine Jean-Pierre, Meghan Markle & Kamala Harris, we have only a taste of how deeply pervasive casual & knee-jerk misogynoir is in our society.' Her book is expected to release on October 21, 2025.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jean-Pierre triggers Democratic fury with public split from party
Democrats are furious with former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's decision to publicly leave the party and announce she's a political independent while promoting a book. Jean-Pierre served as former President Biden's voice to the media for more than two and a half years, and her decision to split from the party at a time when it is particularly troubled has been more than irksome to Democrats. They not only see it as a form of a betrayal, but as an instance in which one of their own again stuck the knife in the collective party's back, preventing it from moving forward after a terrible election. It amounted to another bad day for Democrats, who have had a whole host of those since former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential race to President Trump. 'You know how I feel about it. This is how: What the f— are we doing?' one angry strategist said in an interview that was laced with expletives. 'We see Donald Trump and he's ripping up this country and we're focused on the press secretary of the former president who hasn't been there for six months. It's madness.' Democrats have been annoyed with Biden, who keeps showing up in public to, in their view, give Trump and Republicans a target to go after. Now there is his press secretary, saying she no longer wants to be a Democrat while taking aim at the former president's critics. The description of her forthcoming book, titled 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines,' discusses a 'betrayal' of Biden by the Democratic Party that led him to bow out of the race and back Harris. Democratic operatives, former Biden aides and donors were all miffed by Jean-Pierre's move to leave the party, particularly as many of them say they still feel misled by the Biden administration and his aides' insistence that Biden's mental acuity was above board. 'The fact that she feels like she can distance herself from the Democratic brand is laughable,' another strategist said. 'Democrats are trying to distance themselves from the Biden White House but here we have Karine trying to distance herself from a pissed off Democratic Party. She's part of the problem. Does she not realize that?' 'Karine is one of the most notable spokespersons of the last 5 years. She is part of the Democratic establishment,' the strategist added. 'That's what makes this feel weird and right out of bizarro land.' In a release on Wednesday, Legacy Lit, Jean-Pierre's publisher, said that in the book the former White House press secretary would urge Americans to 'embrace life as independents,' suggesting that both the Democratic and Republican parties are broken. 'I'm going to stay until the end, milk it for all it's worth and then s— on all of it,' said a third strategist who was close to the Biden White House. 'Huge profile in courage there.' On Thursday, Jean-Pierre's book fueled an all-out ambush by former Biden aides and operatives close to the White House who say they felt the former White House press secretary was 'in over her head,' as one former aide put it, 'and required a crazy amount of coddling and hand-holding,' as a second former aide said. 'I like Karine, but it's comical that she was the face of the White House and the lead communicator because she was anything but that,' the first former Biden aide said. 'She was never a communicator. She's affable and politically astute but she was a field organizer. She wasn't meant to ever be a communicator.' 'She was miscast in that role,' the former aide said. 'And that was probably what pissed off a lot of people at the time because she was completely the wrong fit for that job.' At the same time, there was long-running animosity toward Jean-Pierre among some White House aides for building her own profile in the role, which included magazine spreads and appearances on major shows. 'There was this feeling in the building that she used the podium to build her persona, and sure, that's what a lot of these people at the podium do, but she took it to another level,' said a former White House aide. Axios reported on Thursday that 'concerns' about her self-promotion were so widespread that some aides raised the issue with the White House counsel's office. Some aides 'felt torn between their administration duties and helping Jean-Pierre promote herself.' News of the book comes as Biden and his closest aides and advisers have come under scrutiny for allegedly hiding his mental decline while he served as president. And the aspect that arguably angered Democrats the most was that Jean-Pierre regularly stood behind the podium and defended Biden and his capabilities as president. Following the infamous debate that led to his withdrawal from the presidential race, Jean-Pierre said Biden was 'as sharp as ever.' Since then, Democrats have felt they were misled and that the White House — including Jean-Pierre — wasn't being forthcoming about the president's condition. 'There's spin and there's lying and I'll just leave it there,' one major Democratic donor said. The donor said Jean-Pierre's book release 'pours salt on a big, gaping wound that is still oozing.' The first strategist agreed, saying that Jean-Pierre's book is 'a microcosm of a presidency that's ignoring the thing that's right in your face.' 'And it was right in our face,' the strategist added. 'We just didn't want to see it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Jean-Pierre triggers Democratic fury with public split from party
Democrats are furious with former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's decision to publicly leave the party and announce she's a political independent while promoting a book. Jean-Pierre served as former President Biden's voice to the media for more than two and a half years, and her decision to split from the party at a time when it is particularly troubled has been more than irksome to Democrats. They not only see it as a form of a betrayal, but as an instance in which one of their own again stuck the knife in the collective party's back, preventing it from moving forward after a terrible election. It amounted to another bad day for Democrats, who have had a whole host of those since former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the presidential race to President Trump. 'You know how I feel about it. This is how: What the f— are we doing?' one angry strategist said in an interview that was laced with expletives. 'We see Donald Trump and he's ripping up this country and we're focused on the press secretary of the former president who hasn't been there for six months. It's madness.' Democrats have been annoyed with Biden, who keeps showing up in public to, in their view, give Trump and Republicans a target to go after. Now there is his press secretary, saying she no longer wants to be a Democrat and taking aim at the former president's critics. The description of her forthcoming book, titled 'Independent: A look inside a broken White House, outside the party lines,' discusses a 'betrayal' of Biden by the Democratic Party that led him to bow out of the race and back Harris. Democratic operatives, former Biden aides and donors were all miffed by Jean-Pierre's move to leave the party, particularly as many of them say they still feel misled by the Biden administration and his aides' insistence that Biden's mental acuity was above board. 'The fact that she feels like she can distance herself from the Democratic brand is laughable,' another strategist said. 'Democrats are trying to distance themselves from the Biden White House but here we have Karine trying to distance herself from a pissed off Democratic Party. She's part of the problem. Does she not realize that?' 'Karine is one of the most notable spokesperson of the last 5 years. She is part of the Democratic establishment,' the strategist added. 'That's what makes this feel weird and right out of bizarro land.' In a release on Wednesday, Legacy Lit, Jean-Pierre's publisher, said that in the book the former White House press secretary would urge Americans to 'embrace life as independents,' suggesting that both the Democratic and Republican parties are broken. 'I'm going to stay until the end, milk it for all it's worth and then s— on all of it,' said a third strategist who was close to the Biden White House. 'Huge profile in courage there.' On Thursday, Jean-Pierre's book fueled an all-out ambush by former Biden aides and operatives close to the White House who say they felt the former White House Press Secretary was 'in over her head' as one former aide put it 'and required a crazy amount of coddling and hand-holding' as a second former aide said. 'I like Karine but it's comical that she was the face of the White House and the lead communicator because she was anything but that,' the first former Biden aide said. 'She was never a communicator. She's affable and politically astute but she was a field organizer. She wasn't meant to ever be a communicator. 'She was miscast in that role,' the former aide said. 'And that was probably what pissed off a lot of people at the time because she was completely the wrong fit for that job.' At the same time, there was long-running animosity toward Jean Pierre among some White House aides for building her own profile in the role, which included magazine spreads and appearances on major shows. 'There was this feeling in the building that she used the podium to build her persona and sure that's what a lot of these people at the podium do but she took it to another level,' said a former White House aide. Axios reported on Thursday that 'concerns' about her self-promotion were so widespread that some aides raised the issue with the White House counsel's office. Some aides 'felt torn between their administration duties and helping Jean-Pierre promote herself.' News of the book comes as Biden and his closest aides and advisers have come under scrutiny for hiding his mental decline while he served as president. And the aspect that arguably angered Democrats the most was that Jean-Pierre regularly stood behind the podium and defended Biden and his capabilities as president. Following the infamous debate that led to his withdrawal from the presidential race, Jean-Pierre said Biden was 'as sharp as ever.' Since then, Democrats have felt they were misled and that the White House —including Jean-Pierre — wasn't being forthcoming about the president's condition. 'There's spin and there's lying and I'll just leave it there,' one major Democratic donor said. The donor said Jean-Pierre's book news 'pours salt on a big, gaping wound that is still oozing.' The first strategist agreed, saying that Jean-Pierre's book is 'a microcosm of a presidency that's ignoring the thing that's right in your face.' 'And it was right in our face,' the strategist added. 'We just didn't want to see it.'
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Karine Jean-Pierre, former Biden press secretary, leaves Democratic party
Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House press secretary under President Joe Biden, announced on Wednesday June 4 that she has written a book detailing her time in the White House. The memoir, titled Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, is set for release on October 21, 2025. The book promises to offer an inside look at the turbulent final weeks of Biden's presidency, focusing on what Jean-Pierre describes as a 'broken White House.' It will explore the events leading up to Biden's decision to abandon his bid for a second term and the Democratic Party's role in what she considers his 'betrayal.' According to the publisher, Legacy Lit, Jean-Pierre will delve into her personal journey of leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent, a move she attributed to the country's pressing need for creative, strategic thinking. In a statement, Jean-Pierre explained that once Biden's presidency ended and Donald Trump returned to office, she realised that the nation needed to break free from old political boxes. She urged Americans to 'think creatively and plan strategically' and to be 'clear-eyed and questioning' rather than 'blindly loyal and obedient' to political norms. Jean-Pierre's decision to step away from the Democratic Party comes amid mounting scrutiny over Biden's 2024 re-election bid. Books like CNN's Original Sin and reports from various media outlets have cast a spotlight on concerns regarding Biden's cognitive and physical health. Jean-Pierre, who made history as the first Black and openly gay woman to serve as White House press secretary, previously worked as a senior political adviser and served in the Obama administration. She took over the press secretary role in 2022, succeeding Jen Psaki. Her tenure in the White House was marked by both praise and criticism. Some commended her handling of difficult press briefings, while others took issue with her responses concerning Biden's health. In February 2025, Jean-Pierre spoke at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, where she reflected on the difficulties she faced in the final weeks of Biden's campaign. 'I had never seen a party do that in the way that they did,' she said of the backlash Biden faced from fellow Democrats. 'It was hurtful and sad to see that happening.' Although Jean-Pierre has stated that she does not miss her time as press secretary, she emphasised her commitment to the administration's work, noting, 'I would not have come back into the administration, I don't think, for anybody else [but Biden].' News of her book has stirred mixed reactions from her former colleagues. Jeremy Edwards, a former Biden White House spokesperson, took to X (formerly Twitter), writing only 'lol,' a response that some interpreted as a dismissive reaction to Jean-Pierre's departure and revelations. As the Democratic Party grapples with its direction in the wake of the 2024 election, Jean-Pierre's book is set to offer a candid perspective on a pivotal time in American politics.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Left the Democratic Party After Biden's Term
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that she's left the Democratic Party and is now an independent voter The move coincides with the announcement of Jean-Pierre's upcoming book, 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines' 'I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes," Jean-Pierre said in a statement Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is no longer a Democrat. The 50-year-old political advisor left the party following her tenure under President Joe Biden, and has written about the experience in her new book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines. 'Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,' Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Wednesday as she announced her upcoming expose. '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,' her statement continued. '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.' Jean-Pierre was the first black person and first openly LGBTQ person to serve as White House press secretary. She was appointed to the position in May 2022 after previously serving as deputy press secretary to predecessor Jen Psaki and as the chief of staff for vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign. In the final months of the Biden administration, Jean-Pierre was criticized for avoiding questions about Biden's cognitive abilities and physical health. Her publisher, Legacy Lit, said Wednesday that Independent will explore '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.' '[Jean-Pierre] presents clear arguments and provocative evidence as an insider about the importance of dismantling the torrent of disinformation and misinformation that has been rampant in recent elections and provides passionate insight for moving forward,' the announcement added. However, some of Jean-Pierre's fellow D.C. insiders seem to feel differently. Politico quoted some of her former staffers as anonymously saying her sudden change of political party seems to be a 'grift' meant to boost publicity for the book. 'She made a joke about being an independent last year and now it's a book,' one said. 'All ideas are monetary — even the dumb ones.' Others speculated that Independent was Jean-Pierre's back-up plan for a post-Biden career, claiming her real goal was to follow in Psaki's footsteps and land a panelist spot on The the motive, some of the former press secretary's cohorts in the Biden White House find her decision to turn on the administration in poor taste.'Kamala Harris and the entire Biden/Harris campaign did hero's work to avoid losing 400 electoral votes and giving Republicans a supermajority in Congress, which is what would have happened if he stayed on the ticket,' Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic strategist who worked in the Biden Commerce Department, told Politico. 'It's more productive to focus on that, and thank Biden for doing the responsible thing by stepping aside, than it is to pretend this was an unwarranted act of betrayal.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Jean-Pierre spoke with PEOPLE at the opening night of Othello on Broadway back in March, noting that the night out was just one of the moments she was able to enjoy in her post-White House life. 'It was an honor and a privilege to have the job and to have done it for two and a half years, but I don't miss it,' Jean-Pierre admitted. In addition to Broadway shows, she shared that the past few months have been filled with 'self-care, sleep, hanging out with my family, hanging out with my friends.' Read the original article on People
