In a striking revelation, former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has decided to part ways with the Democratic Party. Her departure comes in response to what she describes as the “horrible” treatment of former President Joe Biden by his own party.

During the 2024 presidential race, Joe Biden managed to clinch the Democratic nomination. However, he later withdrew his candidacy under pressure from party leaders, who urged that he step aside due to concerns about his age and cognitive capabilities. These concerns were amplified following an underwhelming debate performance against Donald Trump, where Biden appeared sluggish and occasionally disoriented. Following his exit, Vice President Kamala Harris was elevated as the party’s nominee, though she eventually suffered a significant defeat to Donald Trump in the November election.

Karine Jean-Pierre, in her newly published memoir, candidly discusses how the Democratic Party’s treatment of Biden prompted her to reassess her political affiliations. She now identifies as an independent.

“While Biden seemed content with his decision to withdraw, I was left in disbelief, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions,” Jean-Pierre reflects. “I felt anger and sorrow, heartache and outrage that a man who had dedicated over half a century to public service was so poorly treated by his own party. It was a terrible injustice,” she wrote.

Jean-Pierre had held onto hope that Biden would persevere in the race, a belief that was ultimately dashed when he stepped aside.

“The Democratic Party had defined my life, my career,” Jean-Pierre wrote. “Everything I’d done to make people’s lives better had been connected to it. The party was the vehicle that allowed me not just to have a front seat to history, working first on [Barack] Obama’s presidential campaign then in his administration, but also to make some history of my own as the first Black woman and openly queer person to ever be a White House press secretary. Never had I considered leaving the party until now.”