Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is officially leaving the Democratic Party. In a press release announcing her upcoming book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, she revealed she is now a registered independent. The book is set for release on October 21.
Published by Legacy Lit, the statement says Jean-Pierre is stepping away from partisan politics. “She has chosen to look beyond party lines,” the release said. It also described the decision as deeply personal and not made lightly.
Jean-Pierre, who served under President Biden, explained her shift in a written statement. “At noon on January 20, I became a private citizen,” she said. “Like all Americans, I had to contend with what was to come next for our country.”
She said the move reflects her belief that rigid political affiliations no longer serve the public. “The danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes,” Jean-Pierre said. “We need to be questioning, not blindly loyal.”
Her departure comes at a rough time for Democrats. After major losses in the 2024 election, the party is trying to regroup. Jean-Pierre’s decision adds to a growing list of high-profile defections.
She made history as the first Black woman and openly gay person to serve as White House press secretary. Her resume also includes work for Barack Obama and Kamala Harris. But now, she’s distancing herself from the party that helped shape her political career.
In the book, Jean-Pierre will reportedly share insights from inside the Biden White House. One major theme: how she believes the Democratic Party betrayed Biden before he stepped off the 2024 ticket. The publisher says her story will offer a “clear-eyed” look at that unraveling.
Jean-Pierre says Independent is about thinking outside the lines. “Freeing ourselves of boxes is truly at the heart and soul of my new book,” she said. The memoir arrives nearly one year after the 2024 election—and it’s already making waves.