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Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, long a prominent Democratic voice and the public face of the Biden administration, is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, according to a press release from her publisher, Hachette, announcing her forthcoming book.
Jean-Pierre’s decision, revealed in the announcement for her October memoir titled “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines,” marks a significant shift for a figure who has spent decades working at the heart of Democratic politics.
“She didn’t come to her decision to be an Independent lightly,” the press release noted. The book will explore why, in Jean-Pierre’s view, Americans must “step beyond party lines to embrace life as Independents.”
Her departure comes at a turbulent time for the Democratic Party, following its loss of the White House and both chambers of Congress in the November elections. The move adds to the growing list of Democratic insiders who have expressed discontent with the party’s handling of the 2024 election cycle — including the controversial decision by President Joe Biden to seek re-election despite widespread concerns about his age and fitness for office.
A new book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson chronicled growing dissatisfaction within the party and detailed the internal chaos leading up to Biden’s eventual withdrawal from the race — a moment Jean-Pierre appears to reference.
“The betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to that moment was part of my reckoning,” she writes, according to excerpts released by the publisher.
Jean-Pierre, who made history as the first Black woman and first openly gay person to serve as White House Press Secretary, said she had to “follow [her] own compass.”
“Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement for Legacy Lit, an imprint of Hachette. “At noon on that day, I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes.”
In a video posted to Instagram, she expanded on her message, urging Americans to “stop thinking in boxes” and to resist excessive partisanship.
Though Jean-Pierre defended the Biden administration throughout her tenure, her upcoming book reportedly takes a more critical tone, describing the White House as “broken” in its subtitle. Her announcement drew no immediate public comment from the Democratic National Committee or Biden’s personal office.
Before joining the Biden White House, Jean-Pierre held senior roles with both Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns and Vice President Kamala Harris, later becoming Biden’s press secretary in 2022 following the departure of Jen Psaki.
In her final press briefings, Jean-Pierre remained a strong advocate for Biden’s record.
“He’s had a historic presidency,” she said at the time. “He’s done more in one term than most presidents have been able to do in two.”
Her departure from the party now signals a deeper shift, not just for Jean-Pierre, but for the ongoing national conversation about political identity, independent voters, and party loyalty in a post-Biden Democratic era.
