US President Joe Biden named the new press secretary after Jen Psaki stepped down. Biden named Karine Jean-Pierre, who will be the first Black and openly gay woman to hold the position. “Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people," Biden told NBC news.
"She will be the first black woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as the White House Press Secretary," Psaki tweeted after the announcement.
Psaki had indicated right from the start that she would step down during Biden's term. She will reportedly join MSNBC.
44-year-old Jean-Pierre was born to migrant Haitian parents. Her father was a taxi driver and her mother worked as a cleaner. Raised in New York, French-speaking Jean-Pierre has a degree from Columbia University.
Jean-Pierre has previously served in both of Obama's presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2012. She also worked on Biden's 2020 campaign before joining Biden's team.
According to a White House statement, Jean-Pierre was previously Chief Public Affairs Officer for liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org. She also has worked as a political analyst with NBC and MSNBC. Jean-Pierre has previously opened up about being sexually abused as a child and suffering from depression. She has a daughter with her partner, a journalist with CNN.
