Top aides to President Biden crafted a plan last autumn in secrecy to replace White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre by seeking assistance from external allies to facilitate her departure, as per sources familiar with the situation who spoke to the New York Post.
Jean-Pierre, who made history in May 2022 as the first Black and openly gay individual to hold the position, had developed a frustrating tendency of reciting pre-prepared responses directly from a binder during her regular briefings with journalists. Her superiors viewed this as an unconvincing approach for 81-year-old Biden as he geared up for his re-election campaign, as highlighted by The Post.
Anita Dunn, the de facto White House communications chief and spouse of Biden’s personal attorney Bob Bauer, has purportedly chosen to bring in prominent Democrats to counsel Karine Jean-Pierre that it is time to move forward. The sources disclosed that Dunn believed it was the appropriate moment to convey this message to Jean-Pierre, 49. “There were a number of people she asked to engage Karine,” said one source.
The Post was also informed by the source that Dunn claimed White House chief of staff Jeff Zients had knowledge of and supported the covert strategy to dismiss Jean-Pierre from the West Wing. “There was an effort to have some outside folks who Karine knows and trusts talk to her about why leaving last fall would have made a lot of sense for her and her career,” the source said. The source noted further that Jean-Pierre “had been in the job for a year and a half at that point, which is a pretty standard tenure for a press secretary in what is admittedly a very demanding job [and] Jeff and Anita [tried] to have folks that she would listen to and trust talk to her about why it might be wise to do that.”
Jen Psaki, the initial press secretary under President Biden, fulfilled her duties in that capacity for a period of slightly less than 16 months before transitioning to a new role as a host and analyst at MSNBC. According to another source cited by The Post, “Jeff and Anita were seeking a way for Karine to depart gracefully” due to apprehensions about the unfavorable perception that would arise from her involuntary removal.
“There’s a huge diversity issue and they’re afraid of what folks are going to say,” added the second source
The information from the second source also revealed that they were notified about the project by several individuals who were briefed by Dunn. They verified that at least one individual from outside the administration did participate in discussions with Jean-Pierre. As per the first source, it is anticipated that the revelation of Dunn’s plan will result in uncomfortable dynamics in the workplace. However, The Post pointed out that it is unlikely to cause Jean-Pierre to leave.
“She has been pretty consistent in telling people from the minute she got the job that she was going to stay through the election,” they said. “I think Karine has decided to stay come hell or high water and that’s that.”
Despite Jean-Pierre maintaining her role, the ongoing problems that caused Dunn’s failed tactics are still present, as reported by the source. According to both informants, the press secretary heavily depends on notes, which results in a lack of spontaneous comebacks and sharp responses crucial for promoting Biden’s agenda efficiently.
“Karine doesn’t have an understanding of the issues and she reads the book [binder] word-for-word,” said the second source, noting further that the situation is even more difficult because “she thinks she’s doing an amazing job.”
“She doesn’t have a grasp of the issues and doesn’t spend the time to learn,” that person told The Post.
“These issues are not second nature to people. Israel and Gaza is a perfect example. It’s very nuanced. Jen would have calls with people to feel well-versed enough to go to the briefing.”
“There’s an enormous amount of work that goes into getting ready,” the first source told The Post, “and consistently she does not put in that level of work.”