Karine Jean-Pierre Reveals Surprising Moment of Biden’s Exit

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre disclosed in her upcoming book that she learned about Joe Biden‘s decision to withdraw from the presidential race during a senior staff Zoom call. Her book, titled “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines,” is set to be published on October 21, 2023, and outlines her reasons for leaving the Democratic Party.

Unexpected Announcement During Staff Call

In an excerpt published in Newsweek, Jean-Pierre described the moment she received an unexpected invitation to a senior staff meeting last summer. On that call, she was informed that Biden would soon announce his withdrawal from the race. “I happened to glance at my work phone,” she wrote. “There was an invite to an unexpected meeting happening in 45 minutes.” The attendees included senior advisers and campaign leadership, leaving her apprehensive about the purpose of the call.

When the meeting commenced, Biden joined and delivered the news. “The moment Biden popped on, he delivered the news,” she recalled. “He told us he’d made the decision not to run for reelection.” According to Jean-Pierre, Biden expressed that the Democratic Party had caused significant damage to his campaign, leading to his decision to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris and exit the presidential race.

Emotional Response and Reflection

Jean-Pierre described feeling “numb” after the announcement, noting that Biden appeared at peace with his choice while she grappled with a mix of anger and sadness. “I was enraged and heartbroken that this man had given more than 50 years of his life to serving the American people, and in the end he’d been treated poorly by members of his own party,” she stated.

In the weeks leading up to Biden’s announcement, Jean-Pierre defended his fitness to serve amid growing concern about his age and health. She referred to critical videos of the 82-year-old president as “cheap fakes,” asserting that they were manipulated. The treatment of Biden by his own party during the electoral cycle contributed to Jean-Pierre’s decision to leave the Democratic Party altogether.

Following the announcement of Biden’s withdrawal, officials from the Biden White House criticized Jean-Pierre’s decision to publish her account. Some labelled her actions as a “grift.” Despite this backlash, Jean-Pierre reflected on the call’s impact, stating, “Now the cloud of unease hovering over me solidified into an idea about how I could possibly do something different.”

Ultimately, she concluded, “You know what? I’m going to become an independent. I don’t think I can stomach being in the Democratic Party anymore,” she told a friend, marking a significant shift in her political affiliation.