Karine Jean-Pierre, who served as White House press secretary under former President Joe Biden, has left the Democratic Party and registered as an independent. She announced the move alongside her upcoming book, Independent, which its publisher describes as a look inside a broken White House.
Karine Jean-Pierre, who served as White House press secretary under former President Joe Biden, has announced that she has left the Democratic Party and is now an independent.
She made the announcement alongside her new book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, published by Hachette. The cover shows shattered glass behind the title.
From the podium to independent
Jean-Pierre was Biden’s chief spokesperson at the White House podium, where she regularly defended the president against questions about his age, health and decisions. She was the first Black woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the job.
Her book is presented as an account of her time in the administration and of her decision to step outside party politics. Its subtitle describes the White House she served in as “broken.”
Reaction from former colleagues
The announcement drew sharp responses from some former Biden administration officials. According to DailyMail.com, one former official, speaking anonymously, said it was “probably best to purge the party of our most delusional and self-serving personalities.”
Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former adviser to then-Vice President Kamala Harris, posted on X that “a lot of group chats were revived today.”
Some critics questioned her motives for writing the book, while supporters described the move as an independent step in a highly partisan climate.
The timing
The announcement came weeks after CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson published Original Sin, a book alleging that aides concealed signs of Biden’s decline while he was in office. Biden has rejected that account.
Unlike her predecessor Jen Psaki, who became an MSNBC host after leaving the White House, Jean-Pierre had not taken a major television role since leaving the administration in January 2025.
What comes next
Jean-Pierre has not said whether she plans to seek office or take on a media role. Her book is scheduled for release in October 2025.
Source: ABC7 New York
