The White House has responded to a report that there was an effort last year by top Democrats close to President Joe Biden to oust White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
A spokesman for Biden denied claims by two people who told the New York Post they were briefed on the plot to persuade the press secretary to leave her post.
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates defended Jean-Pierre and told the outlet she was being “singled out.”
A source told the Post that last fall, White House adviser Anita Dunn called in several “prominent Democrats” to explain to Jean-Pierre that she should consider stepping away from her job after more than a year and a half.
“There were a number of people she asked to engage Karine,” the source told the Post. “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.”
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The source said White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients had intricate knowledge of the plan and supported it.
A second source told the Post that people in Biden’s inner circle beyond Dunn and Zients wanted Jean-Pierre to leave.
But, the person said, there were concerns about how it might look if the White House’s black and lesbian spokeswoman was fired, demoted or replaced.
“Jeff and Anita were trying to find Karine a graceful exit,” the Post’s second source said. “There’s a huge diversity issue, and they’re afraid of what folks are going to say.”
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While there were reported to have been concerns among top White House officials about firing Jean-Pierre, the Post’s second source explained those who wanted her gone had good reason as they believed she was not up to the job.
“Karine doesn’t have an understanding of the issues and she reads the book [binder] word-for-word … she thinks she’s doing an amazing job,” the person said.
“She doesn’t have a grasp of the issues and doesn’t spend the time to learn,” the source said. “These issues are not second nature to people.
“Israel and Gaza is a perfect example. It’s very nuanced. Jen would have calls with people to feel well-versed enough to go to the briefing.”
The source was referring to Jean-Pierre’s predecessor, Jen Psaki.
The person added that being the spokeswoman for the president requires more effort than Jean-Pierre displayed.
“There’s an enormous amount of work that goes into getting ready, and consistently she does not put in that level of work,” the source said.
In a statement to the Post, Bates denied there was a plot to persuade Jean-Pierre to leave her job.
“Not only are these claims wildly false, but the reality is the polar opposite,” he said. “Karine was never approached by anyone with such a message. She spends four hours preparing every day.”
The deputy press secretary also referred to Dunn and Zients by name and said neither wanted her gone from the briefing room.
“And neither Jeff nor Anita did any such thing; both have been unflinchingly supportive of her,” Bates said.
He also took issue with the claim Jean-Pierre is ill-prepared for her job and cannot do it without a binder to reference during news briefings.
“Every press secretary uses the binder,” Bates said. “Why is she being singled out?”
Jean-Pierre has served Biden in her current role since May 2022, when Psaki left her job for a position with MSNBC.
The Post’s sources said it is believed Jean-Pierre will remain press secretary through the November election.
