Redrawing the Lines

Barrier-breaking White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre shares the shocking moment she learned Joe Biden was pulling out of the presidential race—and why she's no longer a Democrat

- by KARINE JEAN-PIERRE

WORKING PARTNERSHIP Jean-Pierre calls Biden a "man of empathy and generosity" in her book. Pictured together returning to the White House in May 2024.

When White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joined an impromptu Zoom meeting on July 21, 2024, she was shocked to find out that President Joe Biden was withdrawing from his reelection bid. A lifelong member of the Democratic Party, Jean-Pierre had disapproved of how party leaders were treating Biden following his debate performance against now-President Don ald Trump, but she thought that he could withstand the critics. However, when he announced his decision to pull out of the 2024 election, Jean-Pierre—the first Black person and openly queer woman to hold her position—realized that the party that had shaped her worldview and career had shifted. In her new book, INDEPENDENT: A LOOK INSIDE A BROKEN WHITE HOUSE OUT- SIDE THE PARTY LINES, Jean-Pierre dissects the party politics surrounding the campaign and how she decided to step away from the Democratic Party to become an independent. In this exclusive excerpt, Jean-Pierre shares the moment she learned that Biden would not run and the immediate aftermath.

ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING, July 21, I woke up wondering how we'd navigate an unpredictable week because the president, who was at his vacation residence in Rehoboth, Delaware, had COVID. I purposely didn’t turn on any of the Sunday political shows because with all the chatter about whether the president should stay or go, cable and the other networks had become too hard to watch. I checked in with Ben LaBolt, the White House communications director, and some members of my team. Then, at about 1 p.m., I hap- pened to glance at my work phone. There was an invite to an unexpected meeting happening in 45 minutes.