Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called it "shocking" to see Democratic leaders turn on President Joe Biden. Their criticism pushed him to step down.
A month into Trump’s second term, Democrats are still reeling. Biden’s disastrous debate last June triggered a wave of pressure. Party leaders demanded he drop out.
At a Harvard event, Jean-Pierre reflected on those tense weeks. She was asked if Biden should have run at all.
"He was the President. He was the leader of the Democratic Party," she said. "It was his decision to make, and I supported that 100%." She defended his right to stay in the race, pointing to the party’s strong midterms.
Jean-Pierre described the chaos before Biden stepped down. She said the biggest challenge came from inside the party itself.
"I… look, personally, I think what was the toughest thing to see in the three weeks was there was a disconnect," she admitted. "It was a firing squad."
"I had never seen anything like it," she continued. "A firing squad around a person who was a true patriot. A person who did more in one term than most presidents do in two."
Another panelist pressed her on who she meant. Jean-Pierre confirmed she was talking about Democratic leaders. Their public criticism stunned her.
"Instead of uniting to save democracy, they turned on him," she said. "It was truly unfortunate. I think it hurt us more than people realize."