Andrew Stiles of the Washington Free Beacon ponders one Biden administration official’s impact on the future of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Joe Biden deserves to be remembered as one of the worst presidents in history, but his future legacy got a significant boost this week as Democrats and journalists finally acknowledged what most normal Americans already knew: Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, one of the most celebrated DEI hires in recent memory, was “kinda dumb” and terrible at her job.
Jean-Pierre, who took over as Biden’s top spokesperson in 2022, was widely celebrated (by liberals obsessed with diversity) for being the first lesbian of color to serve in that role. “For the first time in our nation’s history, people around the world will have the opportunity to watch a talented, accomplished queer Black woman stand behind a podium and speak on behalf of the President of the United States as White House Press Secretary,” the executive director of Equality California said in a statement. “Karine’s strength, integrity and visibility will inspire generations of Americans to dream big, work hard and never apologize for being their authentic selves.” Earlier this year, Essence magazine cited her as an example of “black excellence” in the White House.
Journalists prodded Jean-Pierre to explain how she mustered the courage to become such a historic figure in the face of Republican bigotry. “How do you fight and still remain composed and fight in the midst of people trying to erase you and people trying to make you feel like you should not be there?” April Ryan of theGrio asked in 2023. Jean-Pierre argued that failure was “not an option.”
Alas, she failed. Even Democrats can admit that now. This week, in a shameless display of self-promotion, Jean-Pierre announced she was leaving the Democratic Party to become an independent, and writing a book about the “betrayal” of Joe Biden. Her former colleagues were outraged and took the opportunity to express their true feelings about Jean-Pierre, which more or less aligned with the general public’s view.
