by Sharelle B. McNair

October 22, 2025

In her new book, ‘Independent,’ Jean-Pierre criticizes the Democratic Party for abandoning Biden when he needed support.

Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is opening up during her book tour on why, after serving under the Biden administration, she decided to leave the Democratic Party to become an Independent, NPR reports. 

In her new book, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines,” Jean-Pierre discussed being disappointed by how the party abandoned then-President Joe Biden in his time of need, opening the door to the party’s defeat in the 2024 presidential election. In fact, she partly blames Democrats’ not being unified for President Donald Trump’s chaotic return to the White House. “Joe Biden, objectively, had a very successful four years,” she said. 

“And here we are on the cusp of an election of a lifetime that we all need to get behind our person, and we couldn’t do it. Republicans are able to do it … and we weren’t able to do it.”

She highlighted political dignitaries and Hollywood figures like Nancy Pelosi and George Clooney for pushing the narrative that Biden couldn’t carry on. “All of it contributed to a perception of disunity,” Jean-Pierre continued. 

Jean-Pierre made history as the first Black person and openly LGBTQ+ community member to serve as press secretary. Her impressive résumé, which includes serving as deputy press secretary under Jen Psaki and chief of staff for Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, also made her a target of scrutiny, exposing the deep biases she faced because of her race and heritage.

She reminisced on being scrutinized for her alleged lack of policy depth and being “too wooden.” While that didn’t stop her from getting the job done, Jean-Pierre saw that “as a Black woman, things are just different for people who look like me.”

She reassessed her outlook when Harris entered the 2024 presidential race, believing the fellow historymaker faced an uphill battle to win the White House. But she says she felt a deep sting the morning after Election Day when Harris fell short — though, as the former press secretary admits, the outcome didn’t shock her. “The truth was, I never really believed Harris could win,” she said, according to The Hill.  

“I’d been in the body of a Black woman all my life. I’d stood at the podium in the White House briefing room, traveled in my chocolate skin through rural towns, and all my experiences of blistering stares and racist assumptions left me unable to see this country electing a president who looked like me.”

Despite pinpointing Democrats’ mistakes through the book, published Oct. 21, Jean-Pierre isn’t shy about highlighting that the Republican Party–taken over by MAGA loyalists–is far worse this time around. “It has become an extremist, authoritarian, right-wing movement,” she writes about the red-sided party in her take on where politics is heading. 

Even without holding a title, Jean-Pierre still catches heat from members of the current Trump administration. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at her after learning her predecessor called her “deplorable.” Leavitt then labeled Jean-Pierre as a culprit in “the greatest cover-up scandal in American history.” 

“She took the podium every day and lied to the press about the incompetence of her boss—and on this book tour she continues to lie,” Leavitt said.

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