Karine Jean-Pierre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karine Jean-Pierre
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Jean-Pierre in 2023
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| 35th White House Press Secretary | |
| In office May 13, 2022 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Olivia Dalton (Principal Deputy) Andrew Bates (Senior Deputy) |
| Preceded by | Jen Psaki |
| Succeeded by | Karoline Leavitt |
| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| In office October 7, 2024 – January 20, 2025 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Anita Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Massad Boulos |
| White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary | |
| In office January 20, 2021 – May 13, 2022 |
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| President | Joe Biden |
| Secretary | Jen Psaki |
| Preceded by | Brian Morgenstern |
| Succeeded by | Olivia Dalton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 13, 1974 Fort-de-France, Martinique, France |
| Political party | Independent (2025–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (before 2025) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | New York Institute of Technology (BS) Columbia University (MPA) |
Karine Jean-Pierre (born August 13, 1974) is an American political advisor and spokesperson. She served as the 35th White House Press Secretary from 2022 to 2025. She was also a senior advisor to President Joe Biden from 2024 to 2025. Karine Jean-Pierre is the first Black person and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold the position of White House press secretary. Before this, she was the deputy press secretary from 2021 to 2022. She also worked as the chief of staff for Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential campaign.
Before working with the Biden–Harris administration, Jean-Pierre was a senior advisor and national spokeswoman for MoveOn.org. She also worked as a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. She taught international and public affairs at Columbia University. In June 2025, Jean-Pierre announced she had left the Democratic Party. She is now an independent.
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Early Life and Education
Karine Jean-Pierre was born in Fort-de-France, Martinique, France. Her parents were immigrants from Haiti. She has two younger siblings. When she was five, her family moved to Queens Village in Queens, New York City. Her mother worked as a home health aide. Her father was a taxi driver who had trained as an engineer. Karine often helped care for her younger siblings. This was because both parents worked many hours each week. She has described her childhood home as conservative and Catholic.
Jean-Pierre graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School in 1993. Her parents wanted her to study medicine. She studied life sciences at the New York Institute of Technology. However, she did not do well on the medical school entrance exam. She then changed her career path. She earned a bachelor's degree from the New York Institute of Technology in 1997. She later earned a Master of Public Affairs from Columbia University in 2003. While there, she was active in student government. This is where she decided to pursue a career in politics. One of her teachers at Columbia was Ester Fuchs.
She can speak English, French, and Haitian Creole fluently.
Career in Politics
Starting Her Career
After graduate school, Jean-Pierre worked for New York City councilor James F. Gennaro. She was the director of legislative and budget affairs for him. In 2004, she was the political director for John Edwards's presidential campaign in the southeast region. In 2006, she became the outreach coordinator for Walmart Watch in Washington, D.C. She joined the Columbia University faculty in 2014. She is a lecturer in international and public affairs there.
Working with President Obama
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During Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, Jean-Pierre was the campaign's political director for the southeast. She also worked in the White House Office of Political Affairs during Obama's first term.
In 2011, Jean-Pierre was the National Deputy Battleground States Director for President Obama's 2012 re-election campaign. She helped manage the process for choosing delegates and getting on ballots. She also managed political activities in important states. She helped states find the best ways to share information about the campaign.
Jean-Pierre was the deputy campaign manager for Martin O'Malley's 2016 presidential campaign.
Working with President Biden
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Jean-Pierre was a senior advisor for Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign. She joined the Biden team in May 2020. She felt it was important to help shape the future. She said she looked at her daughter and knew she had to get involved. In August 2020, it was announced that Jean-Pierre would be the Chief of Staff for Biden's vice presidential nominee.
On November 29, 2020, the Biden-Harris team announced Jean-Pierre would be the Principal Deputy Press Secretary. On May 26, 2021, she held her first White House press briefing. She was the first openly LGBTQ person to do so. She was also the first Black woman to hold such a briefing since 1991. On May 5, 2022, it was announced she would become the White House Press Secretary on May 13. She is the first Black person and the first openly LGBTQ person to hold this important role.
During her time as Press Secretary, Jean-Pierre often answered questions by referring to the Hatch Act. This law prevents government employees from engaging in political activities while on the job. In June 2023, the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) said Jean-Pierre had violated this act. This happened in briefings before the 2022 midterm election. She had used certain political phrases. The OSC gave her a warning. They said it was not clear if she meant to break the law. However, more incidents could lead to disciplinary action. Jean-Pierre said she was told her words were acceptable when talking about policies and values. In October 2023, the OSC gave her another warning for using the term again. Since she had not used it in her official role since June, they did not take further action.
Jean-Pierre often answered questions about President Biden's age and health. She described videos that seemed to show Biden making mistakes as "cheap fakes." She also dismissed reports about his age being a challenge for his re-election. After a presidential debate in June 2024, journalists questioned her honesty. They felt she was not transparent about Biden's health. Jean-Pierre admitted she made mistakes in handling these questions.
In December 2023, Jean-Pierre turned down an offer to become president of an advocacy group. On October 7, 2024, Jean-Pierre was promoted to a Senior Advisor position in the Biden administration. She held this role at the same time as being Press Secretary. After Hurricane Helene, Jean-Pierre ended a press conference suddenly. She said journalists were spreading wrong information about FEMA funding.
After the Biden Administration
In June 2025, Jean-Pierre announced she had left the Democratic Party. She is now an independent. Her second book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, will be published in October 2025.
Personal Life
Karine Jean-Pierre has an adopted daughter.
Jean-Pierre's first book, Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America, was published in 2019. In the book, she shares her life story. She also encourages people to get involved in politics. The book was described as "part memoir, part call to arms." Jean-Pierre became an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated on July 13, 2025.
Awards and Honors
In 2021, the Carnegie Corporation of New York honored Jean-Pierre. She received the Great Immigrants Award.
See also
In Spanish: Karine Jean-Pierre para niños
- Organizing for America
