Tipsheet

Karine Jean-Pierre Promotes Herself as a 'Historic Figure' Who 'Cannot Fail'

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 19, 2023 5:45 PM

In case there's any question as to how highly White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre thinks of herself, last week's friendly interviews with theGrio should be able to clear that right up. 

Garnering particular attention from Jean-Pierre's interview with Gerren Keith Gaynor is how she referred to herself, as well as the Biden administration, as "historic."

"This is a historic administration. I'm a historic figure, and I certainly walk in history every day," she said.  The interview write-up also highlighted how Jean-Pierre gave the outlet "a sit-down interview highlighting her historic role for Pride Month."

Jean-Pierre is the first black person, openly LGBT person, and immigrant to hold the role. That's a big deal to the Democratic Party fixated on characteristics such as race and sexual orientation rather when filling positions. President Joe Biden himself revealed he chooses members of his administration based on "equity" factors. 

Gaynor's write-up highlighted some words of encouragement from then White House Press Secretary Ron Klain:

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The France-born daughter of Haitian immigrants says she understands the importance of her role – one that some say is the hardest job in the White House outside of the presidency itself. 

“Ron Klain, the former chief of staff, used to say to me, ‘You have the hardest job in this building,’” recalled Jean-Pierre, who said it can often feel like having the “weight of the world” on her shoulders when she goes to the briefing room podium. “It is not for everyone,” she added.

Not only is the job indeed "not for everyone," it might not be for Jean-Pierre, given her frequent fumbles. But the interview write-up continued to plow ahead when it comes to her supposed accomplishments:

The day in the life of a White House press secretary can be hectic. Jean-Pierre often spends hours preparing for briefings with her team of 12 staffers and Biden-Harris administration officials to craft messaging to White House reporters and, by proxy, the American people. Part of her job is also going straight to the source when necessary.

“I also have to sometimes go directly to the president and say, ‘Hey, Mr. President, what is it you want me to say’ on this particular issue,” said Jean-Pierre. “Or just listening to him and [hearing] what he thinks on various items that [are] important to the American people.”

Among those fumbles includes Jean-Pierre's inability to be able to speak to specific questions. She has often told reporters to direct their questions elsewhere, mentioned she has not seen or heard about  something she's specifically asked about, or flat out said she cannot speak to something. 

While the friendly mainstream media often turns a blind eye to Jean-Pierre's false claims, she does make them when it comes to issues such as COVID-related school closures and access to the president, as Mia has covered. Guy and Julio have also addressed her peculiar narrative on immigration, and Community Notes has also chimed in when it comes to Jean-Pierre's misleading about 

Then there's a noteworthy preoccupation with promoting abortion and the LGBT agenda, including and especially when it comes to children who may be experiencing gender dysphoria and believe that they are trans. 

There's also the spin that Jean-Pierre piles on, such as when Biden called for the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) at an event on hunger last September. The congresswoman had died in a car accident almost two months before, in last August. 

Jean-Pierre has done the bidding of this president even to the point of being found to be in violation of the Hatch Act. Last week it was revealed that the the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) issued her a warning for her remarks last November right before the midterm elections. 

"Unfortunately, we have seen mega MAGA Republican officials who don’t believe in the rule of law.  They refuse to accept the results of free and fair elections, and they fan the flames of political violence through what they praise and what they refuse to condemn," Jean-Pierre said at the November 2, 2022 press briefing.

While Jean-Pierre and the administration as a whole has tried to offer that they "take the law very seriously," with White House Spokesperson Andrew Bates that that's "been clear throughout this administration." In addition to Jean-Pierre, the OSC also found Klain to have been in violation, in addition to Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. 

Jean-Pierre has hid behind the Hatch Act in more recent press briefings, including when it comes to how she claims she can't even share the president's schedule as it relates to Biden campaigning for 2024.

That brings us to another interview that Jean-Pierre gave with theGrio, in this case with April Ryan, with The Hill highlighting excerpts of the interview at the Black Women Lead summit. The press secretary offered that "I cannot fail" and "it's not an option." 

Jean-Pierre's remarks came in response to Ryan gushing how "you are fighting every day," as she asked "how do you fight and still remain composed and fight in the midst of people trying to erase you and people trying to make you feel like you should not be there?"

When it comes to "remain[ing] composed, it's worth reminding that just earlier this month Jean-Pierre stormed out of the briefing room when asked about the president's falls. She's done this before that too, though. 

"Because I have to," Jean-Pierre had answered. "I have to. We are so stereotyped. And I cannot fail. It’s not an option," as she worried that failing could let other black women down. 

"It is important for us to do the best that we can to succeed and not fail and then bring people with us," she said. "I hope when my tenure is over, which is not anytime soon, that the next people, person, women behind me have it a little bit easier and they feel that, 'okay, Karine was able to do it, now I’m just going to take it to the next level and do this.' And so that’s what matters," Jean-Pierre also said, indicating we could be stuck with her for some time. 

Going by the standards of being a "historic figure," one could say that Jean-Pierre has succeeded, though she fails where it counts.