First Black gay White House press secretary made Biden’s senior presidential advisor
Karine Jean Pierre has been promoted to a senior advisor to the President. (Getty)
The White House has given a promotion its first Black and out LGBTQ+ press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre.
The Biden administration announced on Monday (7 October) that Karine Jean-Pierre had been promoted to the role of senior advisor to the president.
“Karine has been a trusted advisor to the president and all of us here at the White House since day one,” Jeff Zients, the president’s chief of staff, told ABC News. “Her counsel will be critical to get as much done as possible for the American people in the coming months.”
Jean-Pierre made history in 2022 by becoming the first Black woman and first out gay person to be named White House press secretary. President Joe Biden said after appointing her: “Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this administration.”
While she will continue to fulfil her obligations as press secretary, Jean-Pierre will also work alongside the president’s top advisors, including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed.
Since taking the role of press secretary, Jean-Pierre has made waves not only for her professionalism, but also for her ability to push back against misinformation and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric during briefings. In June 2023, she shut down what she described as an “irresponsible” question from a journalist about whether the White House was against trans women competing in female sports.
“You’re saying that their safety is at risk. You’re laying out a broad example or explanation of what could potentially happen… that is dangerous. That is a dangerous thing to say, that essentially transgender kids… are dangerous.”
Jean-Pierre also had little time for Fox News in April, following Biden’s decision to formally recognise Trans Day of Visibility.
During a press conference, in which she was asked to discuss the ensuing backlash, she noted that Fox had recognised the day in a post in March 2021, telling trans people: “We see you and stand with you.”
Earlier in her career, Jean-Pierre worked as a regional political director during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Later, she served as chief of staff for vice-president Kamala Harris and on the Biden presidential campaign in 2020.
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