Karine Jean-Pierre (born August 13, 1974)[c] is an American political advisor who has been serving as the White House press secretary since May 13, 2022, and a senior advisor to President Joe Biden since October 7, 2024. She is the first black person and the first openly LGBTQ person to serve in the position of White House press secretary.[2] Previously, she served as the deputy press secretary to her predecessor Jen Psaki from 2021 to 2022 and as the chief of staff for U.S. Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign.[3][4][5]
Prior to her work with Harris during the 2020 election and with the Biden–Harris administration, Jean-Pierre was the senior advisor and national spokeswoman for the progressive advocacy group MoveOn.org. She was also previously a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC and a lecturer in international and public affairs at Columbia University.
Early life and education
Jean-Pierre was born in Fort-de-France, Martinique, France, the daughter of Haitian immigrants.[6][7][8][9] She has two younger siblings, and was five when her family relocated to Queens Village, a neighborhood in Queens, New York City.[10] Her mother worked as a home health aide and was active in her Pentecostal church,[11] while her father was a taxi driver,[10] who had trained as an engineer. Jean-Pierre was often responsible for caring for her siblings, eight and ten years younger, because both parents worked six or seven days per week.[5] She has described her household as conservative, Catholic, and repressive.[12]
Following graduate school, Jean-Pierre worked as the director of legislative and budget affairs for New York City councilor James F. Gennaro. She was the southeast regional political director for John Edwards' presidential campaign in 2004.[17][4] In 2006, she was hired as the outreach coordinator for Walmart Watch in Washington, D.C.[10] She joined the Columbia University faculty in 2014, where she is a lecturer in international and public affairs.[18][19]
Obama administration
Jean-Pierre holding her first White House press briefing in May 2021
In 2011, Jean-Pierre served as National Deputy Battleground States Director for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign.[4][8][20] She led the delegate selection and ballot access process and managed the political engagement in key states,[17] providing resources to help states determine "the best way for them to get the word out for the campaign."[21]
In April 2016, MoveOn named Jean-Pierre as a senior advisor and national spokesperson for the 2016 presidential election. MoveOn said she would "advise on and serve as a spokesperson around MoveOn's electoral work, including a major effort to stand up to Donald Trump."[23]
In January 2019, Jean-Pierre became a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC.[24]
Jean-Pierre has worked at the Center for Community and Corporate Ethics.[25] In December 2018, The Haitian Times named her one of six "Haitian Newsmakers of the Year".[19]
Biden administration
Jean-Pierre holding a press briefing in July 2021Jean-Pierre in Oval Office with Joe Biden, 2023
Jean-Pierre worked as a senior advisor to Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. She joined the Biden team in May 2020, and explained to The Haitian Times that a desire to shape the future was especially motivating; she said that when she was approached by the campaign, she looked at her daughter and thought, "There is no way I can not get involved in this election."[10] In August, it was announced that Jean-Pierre would serve as the Chief of Staff for Biden's vice presidential nominee, who had not yet been announced.[26]
On November 29, 2020, the Biden-Harris transition team announced that Jean-Pierre had been made Principal Deputy Press Secretary.[27] On May 26, 2021, she gave her first White House press briefing, becoming the first openly LGBTQ person to do so[28] and the first Black woman to do so since 1991.[29][2] On May 5, 2022, it was announced that she would succeed Jen Psaki as White House Press Secretary on May 13.[30] She is the first Black person and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the position.[2]
During her tenure, Jean-Pierre often responded to press questions by citing the Hatch Act, a law which forbids civil-service employees from engaging in political action while on the job.[31][32] Journalists criticized Jean-Pierre for this, arguing that she was using the Act to avoid answering their questions.[33][34] In June 2023, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC), the government agency that enforces the Hatch Act, stated in a letter that Jean-Pierre had violated the act in briefings before the 2022 midterm election, in which she repeatedly made references to "MAGA Republicans",[33][34] and referred to candidates as "mega MAGA Republican officials who don't believe in the rule of law".[35][36] The OSC issued Jean-Pierre a warning, stating that it was not clear whether Jean-Pierre had willfully violated the law, but that further incidents could result in the OSC pursuing disciplinary action.[33][34][36] Jean-Pierre said that she had been told that the phrasing was acceptable "in the context of talking about their policies, in talking about their values".[33][34] In October 2023, the OSC issued Jean-Pierre another warning, having found she used the term "MAGA" again shortly after their original warning. As she had not used the term in her official capacity since that June, they declined to pursue disciplinary action.[37][38]
Beginning in early 2023 with the Chinese balloon incident, Jean-Pierre has often been joined in media briefings by National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby, who has more experience in government communications. Kirby has grown to occupy many of the roles traditionally filled by the press secretary, such as appearing on news programs. He also has fielded questions on topics going beyond national security and foreign policy. Jean-Pierre continued to run the joint press conferences with Kirby and select the reporters who would question him instead of letting him choose. Kirby has expressed frustration at this tactic, and White House aides have described it as a sign of Jean-Pierre's insecurity. Tensions have grown between Jean-Pierre and Kirby, with the topic being racially fraught due to the perception of Kirby, who is white, upstaging Jean-Pierre. Black Democratic officials have criticized Kirby's presence as insulting, as it suggested a need to supervise the first Black press secretary.[39][40][41]
In December 2023, Jean-Pierre turned down an offer to become president of abortion advocacy group EMILY's List.[42] On October 7, 2024, Jean-Pierre was promoted to a Senior Advisor position in the Biden administration, concurrent to her role as Press Secretary.[43] After Hurricane Helene, Jean-Pierre suddenly ended a press conference, accusing journalists in spreading misinformation about FEMA funding through their questions.[44]
Personal life
Jean-Pierre is a lesbian and was in a relationship with former CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux until September 2023. They have an adopted daughter.[45]
Jean-Pierre's book, Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America, was published in 2019.[46] She reviews her life and encourages people to become involved in politics. It was described by WJLA-TV as "part memoir, part call to arms".[47]
^Many media outlets have incorrectly reported that Jean-Pierre was born in 1977. The first chapter of Jean-Pierre's memoir Moving Forward states, "About a year later, on August 13, 1974, I was born in Fort-de-France in Martinique."[1]
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