Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who became the first openly gay woman to assume the role and worked for two Democratic presidents, has come out as an Independent.
Jean-Pierre is set to release a book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, in October where she tells Americans they need to “embrace life as independents,” The Hill reports.
Her new book will encourage Americans to vote Independent in the wake of Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 presidential election in favor of former Vice President Kamala Harris stepping in to run in his place, and the failure of the Democratic Party to secure a win against now-President Donald Trump.
“Jean-Pierre didn’t come to her decision to be an independent lightly,” a description of the book from the publisher said. “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.”
This is especially surprising considering Jean-Pierre has worked in Democratic politics for decades, first for the Obama administration before becoming former President Joe Biden’s press secretary.
While working for more than two years as the White House’s top spokesperson, Jean-Pierre was criticized for the way she answered questions about Biden’s health, especially after his disastrous debate performance which led to him stepping down from the presidential election.
“Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States. 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,” Jean-Pierre told CNN. “We need to be clear-eyed and questioning, rather than blindly loyal and obedient as we may have been in the past.”
