WASHINGTON – President Biden on Thursday elected Karin Jean-Pierre as deputy chief spokeswoman to replace Jen Psaki as chief White House spokeswoman, making her the first black woman to hold one of the highest positions in American politics.
Ms. Jean-Pierre, who is working on Mr. Biden’s campaign and has a long career in democratic communications, will become the president’s second spokeswoman in the White House. In her new role, she will have the hard work of providing daily briefings from the rostrum in the briefing room.
In a statement, Mr Biden said that Ms Jean-Pierre “not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult work, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating the work of the Biden-Harris administration on behalf of of the American people. “
He predicts that she will be “a strong voice that speaks for me and this administration.”
Ms. Psaki’s last day as press secretary will be May 13. She is expected to take on the airwaves at MSNBC.
“I will cry,” Ms. Psaki said Thursday before turning to the rows of seats where Ms. Jean-Pierre usually watches the news briefing and motions for her to come to the chair.
Noting that her successor would be the first black woman and openly gay to serve as press secretary, Ms Psaki said Ms Jean-Pierre “would give a voice to so many people”.
Jean-Pierre, 44, will face the challenge of delivering the message to the administration ahead of the midterm elections, which are expected to pose a significant challenge to Democrats. Mr Biden’s team acknowledged that administration officials had struggled to tour the country and speak to the public during the pandemic, and the president himself said he needed to travel more and talk to voters about his priorities.
Mr Biden recently added other communications veterans to his team. Ian Sams, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, joined White House staff as a spokesman for the lawyer’s office. And Anita Dunn, Biden’s chief adviser during his campaign and early presidency, will leave the political consulting firm SKDK and rejoin the administration as Mr Biden’s senior adviser.
Ms. Jean-Pierre has taken the podium in the White House briefing hall several times; last May, she became the first black woman in decades to address reporters on behalf of the president in a briefing. Her more frequent official interactions with the media came aboard Air Force One, where she often gave news briefings during Mr. Biden’s travels.
But the sense of history was not lost by members of the White House staff or reporters attending a news briefing Thursday that showed both the celebration of the mission and the polarizing issues that divide the country. The briefing went between emotional homage, a presentation of captured Russian yachts, inspiring messages and blatant questions about Mr Biden’s position on abortion.
Asked about the historical nature of her promotion, Ms Jean-Pierre replied: “This is not lost on me.”
“I understand how important it is for so many people, so many different communities,” she said. “That I stand on their shoulders and have been all my career.
Ms Jean-Pierre said she thought it was important for young black children to see someone who looked like them behind the presidential rostrum.
“Follow your passion, follow what you believe in and just keep that focus,” she said.
Mr Biden summoned Ms Jean-Pierre to the Oval Office on Thursday afternoon to formally offer her position, according to a White House official. The press team celebrated by drinking warm champagne in styrofoam cups bearing the presidential seal, the official said.
Before leaving the rostrum, Ms. Jean-Pierre was asked if she ever doubted that she would be able to take the position of press secretary as a black woman.
“No, not at all,” she said. “It simply came to our notice then. But I understand how difficult it is. I’m doing it. “
Add Comment