The exit interview: Karine Jean-Pierre on misinformation, the White House, and making queer history

Karine Jean-Pierre knows the power of place. When The Advocate met the now-former White House press secretary for an exclusive exit interview four days before the Biden administration ended, she chose a setting layered with history: a room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once met Vice President Hubert Humphrey on February 9, 1965. The purpose of that meeting? To push forward the Voting Rights Act, which would soon follow the pivotal events of Selma’s Bloody Sunday.

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“This room carries so much weight,” Jean-Pierre explained, gesturing to the black-and-white photos on the walls depicting moments from the civil rights movement. “As you’re asking me about my time here, these are the shoulders I stand on.”

Jean-Pierre also acknowledged the gravity of being behind the lectern in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room near-daily. “This reminds me of what happened before I got to the place that I got to — what people fought for to ensure there was a Vice President Harris and that a Karine Jean-Pierre was standing at the White House podium.”

Karine Jean Pierre in the White House, photographed by Jen Rosenstein for The Advocate

Reflecting on the communities she represents

Jean-Pierre stepped into the role of principal deputy press secretary on day one of the Biden administration in January 2021, becoming the first LGBTQ+ person to give a press briefing that May. One year later, in May 2022, she was promoted to the chief spokesperson role. Throughout her two-year, eight-month tenure — the longest for any female press secretary — Jean-Pierre lifted the voices and stories of underrepresented communities into the spotlight.

“I think about the different communities I carry,” she said. “The LGBTQ+ community, the Black community, women, the immigrant community.”

She noted that the Biden administration had been the most inclusive: “Fourteen percent of the personnel in this administration consider themselves LGBTQ+. That is the highest number we’ve ever seen at the White House in American history.”

The inclusivity was clear from the start. According to the LGBTQ Victory Institute, within the first 100 days of President Joe Biden’s term, more than 200 out LGBTQ+ people were appointed to his administration — the most in history at that point in any administration. In addition to Jean-Pierre, White House communications director Ben LaBolt, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine were some of the administration’s most visible members of the LGBTQ+ community. Beyond these high-profile figures, hundreds of staff across federal agencies were part of the community. It was inclusion at every level.

Related: 7 Times White House's Karine Jean-Pierre Was a Total Badass

Jean-Pierre’s tenure wasn’t just about representation; it was about action. Of the 306 briefings she held, Jean-Pierre recalled numerous times she addressed the surge of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the U.S., including over 600 GOP-led bills introduced during the 2023-2024 legislative calendar.

“I would go to the podium to talk about these bills, the attack on our trans siblings, what was happening in state legislatures,” she said. “A lot of those times were incredibly personal to me. I would ask my team, ‘We have to talk about this bill in Florida or Tennessee or how they’re attacking the drag community.’”

Last May, Jean-Pierre spotlighted the drag community when she met the season 9 cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars at Washington, D.C.’s popular Little Gay Pub.

Karine Jean Pierre in the White House, photographed by Jen Rosenstein for The Advocate

In February 2024, Jean-Pierre used the White House podium to highlight the tragic death of Nex Benedict, a transgender teenager from Oklahoma who died by suicide after being bullied. “As a parent, I was absolutely heartbroken to learn about Nex Benedict’s death,” she said. She also took the opportunity to promote mental health resources, emphasizing the importance of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Jean-Pierre credited the Biden administration with launching the 988 crisis hotline and ensuring it included resources tailored for LGBTQ+ people. “If folks dial 988 and press the number 3, they’ll connect with counselors who understand their unique needs,” she said. “This is a lifesaver. It’s a lifeline. You’ll feel protected, heard, and not judged.”

“When I was 16 years old, I wish there was a lifeline like that,” she said. “It could have talked me through some of the things I was feeling and going through.”

Jean-Pierre has been open about a suicide attempt after failing her pre-med exams, and years of self-doubt. As a teenager, she faced rejection after coming out at 16, which led her to retreat back into the closet for years. She wrote in her 2019 memoir, Moving Forward: A Story of Hope, Hard Work, and the Promise of America, “To this day, no one in my family has ever talked to me about my suicide attempt,” she said. Perhaps because of that, Jean-Pierre was one of the Biden administration’s most vocal champions of the 988 system.

Related: The White House's Karine Jean-Pierre on Fixing MAGA's Mess

Jean-Pierre attributed much of her ability to highlight important issues to Biden’s leadership.

“I was able to do that, yes, because I represent that community, but also because of the person I work for,” she said.

Jean-Pierre pointed to Biden’s long-standing advocacy, particularly his 2012 NBC’s Meet the Press declaration that “love is love,” which preceded the Democratic Party’s official embrace of marriage equality.

“He was ahead of where President Obama was,” she said. “How proud I was, how I felt seen, and how many of my colleagues felt seen.”

From childhood struggles to historic achievements

It wasn’t always this way for Jean-Pierre. Born in Martinique and raised in Queens, N.Y., Jean-Pierre grew up in a Haitian immigrant family who worked tirelessly to provide for her and her siblings. Her mother, a home health care aide, and her father, a taxi driver, often worked seven days a week. “I barely saw them,” Jean-Pierre said.,

Her neighborhood growing up was rough. “I would walk out of my house, and there would be crack vials on the street,” she said, reflecting on how unlikely her rise to the White House podium once seemed.

Guidance counselors told her she wouldn’t amount to much, encouraging her to lower her ambitions. “To now sit in this moment…where I speak on behalf of the American people on a global stage almost every day, it’s incredible,” she said.

Even her presence at the White House can resonate beyond words, she explained.

“Many people don’t even hear what I’m saying,” she joked. “They just see me there, and it matters.” Her visibility, she added, offers hope to marginalized people across the country. “Whether they’re in a small town in a red state or a blue city, everybody needs to feel seen.”

A final press briefing to remember

Jean-Pierre’s last press briefing was, as she described it, “a blur” of emotions and historic developments. Held on January 15, it coincided with a major diplomatic breakthrough: a negotiated ceasefire and hostage deal in the Israel-Hamas war.

“We always planned for January 15 to be the last press briefing,” she said.” It was the perfect day because the president was giving his farewell speech, and it was important that he had the last word.”

Karine Jean Pierre in the White House, photographed by Jen Rosenstein for The Advocate

However, the planned events were overshadowed by the urgency of the deal, which had been months in the making. “We had been working on this hostage deal for 15 months, with critical involvement from regional partners like Qatar and Egypt,” Jean-Pierre said. “As the day progressed, we knew we were very close, but with negotiations, you never know for sure.”

By the time the agreement was announced, the emotional weight of the day had built up. “Fifteen months of a brutal war…hostages who have been held captive in the most horrendous situations,” she said. “It needed to stop, and the president understood that.” She emphasized the impact of the deal: “It means people are going to go home to their families. It also means that important humanitarian aid is going into Gaza, and it represents hope for an end to this war.”

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Jean-Pierre described the final briefing as a bookend of her years in the role and an unpredictable whirlwind. “Yesterday was certainly a culmination of my last two and a half years in this role,” she reflected. “The day started unpredictably, as it often does in this job — you never know if the news will be good or bad. But by the end, I was proud to stand at the podium one last time and speak about something so consequential.”

While the moment was celebratory, it was also deeply personal. Jean-Pierre became emotional as she delivered remarks mentioning her 10-year-old daughter Soleil, a fifth-grader, and reflected on her barrier-breaking tenure. “Sometimes when you read something out loud in front of an audience, even though you’ve been working on it, it hits heavier,” she said, adding that her daughter’s love and support had been a source of strength throughout her time in the role.

Her last day brought her tenure full circle, she said. “I thought to myself, after I’m done reading here and speaking about my departure, I still have to take questions. I can’t be crying up here,” she laughed. Despite her efforts to stay composed, the moment’s weight caught up with her. “I was surprised by how many people who saw the top of the briefing connected with it. It really resonated with folks, and that means a lot to me.”

The flak jacket tradition continues

At the conclusion of her final briefing, a reporter asked whether she had been in touch with the incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt. She replied that she had not. Jean-Pierre told The Advocate that the lack of communication didn’t come from her. “I am available to talk to the incoming press secretary and am happy to do so,” Jean-Pierre said. “It just hasn’t happened.”

Despite lacking direct communication, Jean-Pierre said she would uphold a cherished tradition by placing a note in the press secretary’s flak jacket. The flak jacket tradition has long symbolized the resilience and wit required to field rapid-fire questions from the White House press corps. Dating back to Gerald Ford’s administration, the original jacket was a bulletproof vest gifted to his press secretary, Ron Nessen, by reporters. Over the years, the tradition evolved, with the jacket becoming a men’s blazer passed from one press secretary to the next.

Karine Jean Pierre in the White House, photographed by Jen Rosenstein for The Advocate

However, the garment periodically went missing during transitions between administrations. When Jean-Pierre’s predecessor, Jen Psaki, realized the jacket had been lost during the transition from the first Donald Trump administration, she set out to replace it. Psaki selected a modern twist: a bright yellow Tommy Hilfiger women’s blazer, large enough to fit any future wearer, Psaki told The New York Times.

“Jen was kind enough to replace the flak jacket and even worked with past press secretaries to get copies of previous notes to recreate the tradition,” Jean-Pierre told The Advocate. The blazer now hangs in the West Wing, accompanied by handwritten notes from past press secretaries — a repository of advice and grace.

Jean-Pierre plans to continue the practice. “I will leave a note and follow the tradition of the 34 press secretaries before me,” she said.

What message does she have for Leavitt? “I would tell her what I’ve been pretty consistent about whenever I’m asked this question: This is the best job. This is an incredible job.”

What comes next?

Jean-Pierre understands the uncertainty many Americans feel as the second Trump administration begins. “I’m fearful too,” she admitted. “I have to be very honest. I am very worried about what happens next when we leave on January 20.”

She reflected on Biden’s farewell address, which she described as optimistic and urgent. “The president tends to be very optimistic, but he also issued a call to action,” Jean-Pierre said. “He made it clear that now is the time to make sure you are involved, to fight for vulnerable communities, to fight for democracy, and to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. If we don’t fight for our freedoms, for democracy, for people who are constantly left behind or attacked hatefully, they’re not going to stop with one vulnerable community — they’ll go for every vulnerable community.”

Jean-Pierre also expressed concerns about the dangers of misinformation and disinformation, which she said had become pervasive and dangerous.

“It’s a real issue,” she explained. “For example, during the California wildfires, misinformation was circulating, putting lives in danger. People didn’t know where to go or that they needed to evacuate. That’s how dangerous disinformation can be.” She praised reputable media outlets prioritizing fact-checking and stressed the importance of the freedom of the press as a cornerstone of democracy.

While Jean-Pierre plans to remain politically involved, she said that she hasn’t yet determined her next steps. “I have to figure out what my voice is going to be,” she told The Advocate, “What space am I going to occupy? I haven’t figured that out yet.”

Karine Jean Pierre in the White House, photographed by Jen Rosenstein for The Advocate

For now, she is looking forward to taking a break and spending time with her 10-year-old daughter. “I want to take her to school, watch her basketball games, cuddle on the couch, and just be present,” she said. “And I’m excited to finally have just one phone!”

As the interview concluded, Jean-Pierre reflected on what it was like to be press secretary. “It has been an honor to walk on this White House campus every day, to walk into my office in the West Wing, just a stone’s throw from the Oval Office, as an immigrant, as a Black person, as a queer person that lives in this country, and as a mom,” she said.

Jean-Pierre added, “To be in that office, where 34 White House press secretaries before me sat — who didn’t look like me, who didn’t share my lived experiences — and to speak on behalf of this president and on behalf of the American people on a global stage almost every day in that White House press briefing room…it is incredible.”

Photography: Jen Rosenstein @jenrosenstein

Hair and makeup: Derrick Rutledge @derrick4mkup

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. Trans Lifeline, designed for transgender or gender-nonconforming people, can be reached at (877) 565-8860. The lifeline also provides resources to help with other crises, such as domestic violence situations. The Trevor Project Lifeline, for LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger), can be reached at (866) 488-7386. Users can also access chat services at TheTrevorProject.org/Help or text START to 678678.