President Joe Biden has appointed Karine Jean-Pierre as his second White House press secretary, replacing Jen Psaki later this month.
In view of the development, she will be the first Black press secretary in White House history, speaking for both the president and the U.S. government in press briefings that are watched by the world.
In a statement announcing the appointment, Biden said “Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people”
“Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration.”
Reacting to the development, Jean-Pierre said “This is a historic moment, and it’s not lost on me”
“I understand how important it is for so many people out there, so many different communities, that I stand on their shoulders and I have been throughout my career”.
On her part, Psaki referred to Jean-Pierre as “my partner in truth,” adding that “One of the first conversations we had when we both found out we were getting these jobs was about how we wanted to build a drama-free, on your best days, workplace where everybody worked hard. Where we, on our best days, were rebuilding trust with the public.”
It’s important to note that Jean-Pierre came to the Biden team from the progressive organization MoveOn.org, where she was a top communications staffer. Also, she was a regular on MSNBC. Jean-Pierre has already led several White House press briefings, including when Psaki was out with COVID.
It could be recalled that in May 2021 during her first turn behind the famous lectern, Jean-Pierre said “It’s a real honor just to be standing here today”
“I appreciate the historic nature, I really do. But I believe being behind this podium, being in this room, being in this building, is not about one person. It’s about what we do on behalf of the American people.”
Though she was raised in New York, Jean-Pierre was born in Martinique and went to Columbia University. Throughout her career she has bounced between Democratic political campaigns and left-leaning organizations.
Psaki’s last day is scheduled for May 13th, after which Jean-Pierre will take over.
