Karine Jean-Pierre’s liberal allies spent years defending her against critics who accused her of lacking qualifications and being a diversity hire. But after the former White House press secretary announced her departure from the Democratic Party, Jean-Pierre’s former colleagues quickly began trashing her abilities, with one calling her "kinda dumb."
The View cohost Sunny Hostin, for example, recited Jean-Pierre’s credentials in response to criticism.
"The right is calling you a DEI hire," she said in 2022. "You are a groundbreaker in so many ways. A glass ceiling breaker in so many ways. You have a master’s degree from Columbia. You’re a lecturer in international public affairs at Columbia. Chief public affairs officer for MoveOn.org. You’ve been a political analyst at NBC News, MSNBC. You were the regional political director for the White House. Office of Political Affairs during the Obama administration. The list really goes on. You’re fluent in three languages," Hostin said.
Ashley Etienne, who served as communications director for former vice president Kamala Harris, echoed a similar sentiment.
"I can’t think of anybody more qualified, but also more deserving of the opportunity," she said in 2022.
Liberals quickly reversed that narrative after Jean-Pierre announced that she was becoming an independent and releasing a new book in October. Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines will deliver a "groundbreaking, revelatory assessment," as well as an "urgent, timely analysis" of the "broken two-party system," fueled by "passionate insight." It will also rehash "the three weeks that led to Biden’s abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision."
Jean-Pierre’s allies and former colleagues quickly turned on her. Former White House economic adviser Tim Wu called her responses during press briefings "incoherent."
"From WH policy staff perspective, the real problem with Karine Jean-Pierre was that she was kinda dumb. No interest in understanding harder topics. Just gave random incoherent answers on policy," Wu posted to X.
Others echoed that sentiment.
"She didn't know how to manage a team, didn't know how to shape or deliver a message, and often created more problems than she solved," a former White House official told Axios. She "was one of the most ineffectual and unprepared people I've ever worked with ... She had meltdowns after any interview that asked about a topic not sent over by producers."
Another former Biden official told Politico, "Everyone thinks this is a grift." One of her own former staffers said Jean-Pierre "made a joke about being an independent last year and now it’s a book. All ideas are monetary—even the dumb ones."