President Biden’s top aid held internal discussions about replacing White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, according to press reports.
Sources close to the situation told The New York Post that plans were considered last fall to discreetly encourage Ms. Jean-Pierre to step down from her pioneering role.
“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,” one source said, noting it was an “effort to encourage her to move along.”
Ms. Jean-Pierre, who became the first Black and openly gay individual to assume the position of White House press secretary in May 2022, reportedly fell out of favor with some within the administration.
According to insiders, the criticism centered around her frequent reliance on prepared responses during press briefings, which some senior officials believed diminished the effectiveness of communications from the White House, especially as Mr. Biden prepares for his reelection campaign.
“Karine doesn’t have an understanding of the issues and she reads the book [binder] word-for-word,” said another source, noting it’s made worse by the fact that “she thinks she’s doing an amazing job.”
Anita Dunn, who plays a significant role in the White House communications strategy and is married to Bob Bauer, Mr. Biden’s personal attorney, was reportedly considering involving notable figures within the Democratic Party to advise Ms. Jean-Pierre that it might be the appropriate time for her to consider other opportunities.
But Ms. Jean-Pierre has made it clear she’s not going anywhere.
“She has been pretty consistent in telling people from the minute she got the job that she was going to stay through the election,” sources told The Post. “I think Karine has decided to stay come hell or high water and that’s that.”
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