Karine Jean-Pierre explains her break with the Democrats: NPR

For nearly three years, Karine Jean-Pierre served as White House press secretary, the public face of the Biden administration through daily briefings and travels around the world.

In a new book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Across Party Linespublished on October 21, Jean-Pierre claims that the party’s internal dysfunctions and disloyalty helped pave the way for its defeat in 2024.

Talk with Morning edition host Michel Martin, she reflected on her time in the administration and described why she decided to step down from the party she once represented.

Here are five takeaways from the conversation.

1. She says the debate revealed political vulnerability — not cognitive decline

Jean-Pierre opened his book with his account of the June 2024 presidential debate, the night when questions about former President Joe Biden’s health and acuity intensified.

“I hadn’t seen the president because he was preparing for the debate,” she said. “So the first time I heard him speak was when he was debating. So when I heard his voice, I was like, uh oh. He was hoarse. He sounded like he was sick.”

She said she immediately understood how optics could play out in public. “Everything I pushed away – his age, is he fit – like automatically every time he sneezed or had a runny nose or something happened, that’s where the questions would go.”

She nevertheless maintained that she saw no reason to doubt the president’s ability to carry out his duties. “I stand by that. I stand by that 110 percent.”

2. She attributes, in part, Democratic disunity to the return of Trump

Jean-Pierre argued that Democrats’ failure to rally around Biden cost them politically.

“Joe Biden, objectively, has had a very successful four years,” she said. “And here we are, on the cusp of an election of our lifetimes where we all have to support each other, and we haven’t been able to do it. The Republicans are capable of doing it…and we haven’t been able to do it.”

She cited figures such as Nancy Pelosi and George Clooney who she said have expressed doubts about the president. “All of this,” she said, “has contributed to a perception of disunity.”

3. She says criticism of her as press secretary reflected deeper bias

Jean-Pierre recalled the criticism she faced from the platform, notably by saying that she was “too rigid” or that she lacked political depth.

“Well, look, at the time, I was quiet,” she said. “What I can do is state the facts, which is that no one has ever looked like me on that podium.”

She said she understands that “as a black woman, things are just different for people who look like me.”

4. She says Democrats failed black women — even though they counted on them

In a chapter titled “Sisterhood,” Jean-Pierre describes the loyalty of black women voters within the party.

“I feel like if you look at black women and the way they vote no matter what, because they understand what’s at stake…we’re forgotten,” she said.

She said she appreciated the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to elevate those voices: “They felt seen when they saw me at the podium, behind that lectern, whether it was women of color, black women, the queer community, the LGBTQ community, immigrants — they felt seen, and that mattered to me.”

5. She says becoming independent was about responsibility, not defection

Jean-Pierre said her decision to identify as an independent was intended to start a conversation about the direction of American politics.

“Look, for me, I don’t tell people, hey, go independent,” she said. “There are a growing number of people who consider themselves independent, including young people. We need to ask ourselves why?”

She also said Democrats did not anticipate what would follow their defeat.

Jean-Pierre said she hoped the book would encourage engagement rather than cynicism.

“There is an opportunity to reimagine what politics can be, to reimagine what America can be. That means you can’t stay silent, because silence is complicit.”

The radio version of this interview was conducted by Barry Gordemer and edited by Adriana Gallardo.