Tipsheet

Democrats Are Already Sick of Karine Jean-Pierre's Train Wreck Book Tour

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  October 30, 2025 12:15 PM

I almost feel sorry for former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Key word: Almost.

Not only are Republicans blasting her embarrassing book tour — even Democrats have gotten in on the act. The reactions to her faltering and futile efforts to defend the Biden administration have been anything but positive, and Democrats are not trying to cover for her anymore.

From Politico:

Joe Biden’s former press secretary is giving one epically cringe-worthy performance after another. And her former colleagues can’t look away.

Karine Jean-Pierre, while promoting her memoir, has floundered when asked about the former president’s exit from the presidential race, his stance on Israel and whether Kamala Harris had a shot at the White House.

Some former West Wing staffers are privately texting one another wondering why she can’t answer questions about her own book with greater clarity or coherence. Others are bristling at her emphasis on identity politics.

Most just hope that she will be ignored, another bad news cycle with a short shelf life that doesn’t do lasting damage to an already tarnished brand.

“The truth is that Karine has always been an independent voice throughout her career in politics, so I don’t find her views all that surprising,” said Jennifer Palmieri, who served as White House communications director under former President Barack Obama. “But in the end I think people who hear about the book will consider it to represent one woman’s view and it won’t have any impact on the party one way or another.”

As the Democratic Party struggles to put together a compelling message for 2026 and build a formidable bulwark against President Donald Trump, Jean-Pierre provides an unhelpful reminder of the 2024 election cycle and the Biden presidency. The rollout raises questions about why she was elevated to serve as Biden’s top spokesperson and invites a fresh look at the broader dysfunction of the past administration.

“A car crash is fascinating to watch,” said one longtime Democratic communications strategist. “She was the top communicator for the president of the United States and she can’t get through basic interviews.”

Several Democratic movers and shakers noted that her garbage fire interviews reflected her dismal performance as White House press secretary during the Biden years. One individual who worked with Jean-Pierre likened it to “watching a toddler jump into the deep end of the pool.”

Another questioned whether Jean-Pierre even understood the subject matter in her book. “She doesn’t seem to have any idea of what she’s arguing,” the individual said.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post published a review of her book. The review was about as glowing as a black hole. It noted that Jean-Pierre’s decision to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent was motivated more by loyalty to former President Joe Biden than principle. Much of the book centered on criticisms of the Democratic Party for jettisoning Biden in the 2024 election — the only smart move they made during the campaign season.

The author pointed out that despite claiming to be an independent, she merely regurgitates the Democratic Party’s talking points while castigating the party’s current leadership, which has proven to be woefully out of touch with the American electorate.

Of course, anyone who follows politics knows Jean-Pierre’s claim to being independent was about as believable as podcaster Jennifer Welch claiming to have given up boxed wine. She’s just as much of a Democrat as she was before. It’s nothing more than a silly rebranding effort.

It’s worth noting, however, that Democrats are correct in assuming that Jean-Pierre’s struggle tour will damage the party’s brand. After all, it would take a catastrophe of nuclear proportions to make Democrats even more toxic than they already have become.