By They still feel a sense of betrayal. Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre delivered a sharp critique of Democratic leaders, like Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama, who actively worked to prevent President Joe Biden’s campaign for a second term, calling their actions a betrayal of a leader she described as a “true patriot.”
Speaking at Harvard University’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics on Wednesday evening, Jean-Pierre expressed deep disappointment over the internal party resistance that contributed to Biden’s political downfall, writes The Washington Examiner.
Jean-Pierre, speaking to Harvard University students Wednesday night, called the mutinous behavior by Democratic leaders such as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) “shocking, shocking,” adding that it was unprecedented.
“I had never seen anything like it before. I had never seen a party do that in the way that they did, and it was hurtful and sad to see that happening — a firing squad around a person who I believe was a true patriot, a person who I believe did everything that he can for this country, a person who I believe, as I mentioned before, has done more in his one term than most presidents had done in two terms, historical things. And I was shocked by what I was seeing,” she said at the event hosted by Harvard’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics.
Biden withdrew in July last year, turning his campaign over to former Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose to President Donald Trump.
Jean-Pierre said that the day after Election Day was “heartbreaking,” and she urged Democrats to take Trump on.
“People are hurting, people are scared. And it’s important that we show fight,” she said.
Biden withdrew from the race in July of last year following a lackluster debate performance against former President Donald Trump and growing concerns about his cognitive sharpness. In the weeks leading up to his withdrawal, Democratic leaders pressured him to step aside, arguing that his continued candidacy would weaken the party’s chances in the general election. Ultimately, Biden relinquished the nomination to then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who later lost to Trump in November. The election also resulted in Republican control of both the House and Senate.
In the election aftermath, it’s been made clear that the Bidens still resent what happened to the addled, unpopular president. Former First Lady Jill Biden expressed a sense of personal betrayal. “Let’s just say I was disappointed with how it unfolded,” she remarked. “I learned a lot about human nature.” When pressed about Pelosi’s role, she said, “I’ve been thinking a lot about relationships. It’s been on my mind a lot lately, and… we were friends for 50 years. It was disappointing.”
Jean-Pierre described the day after the election as “devastating” and urged Democrats to mount a strong opposition against Trump’s return to power.
Despite Harris’s defeat, Jean-Pierre avoided identifying a clear leader of the Democratic Party when asked, even as polls suggest Harris remains the frontrunner for the 2028 nomination.
Sticking to the tired Democratic talking points she’s become known for, however, Jean-Pierre warned that Trump posed a significant threat to democracy.
Defending the Biden administration’s legacy on press diversity, Jean-Pierre asserted that it had expanded media representation and upheld journalistic freedoms. However, she did not address criticisms that her office revoked press credentials for over 400 journalists, many from conservative outlets.
“What I see happening now is alarming,” Jean-Pierre said, echoing concerns from mainstream media organizations. Many fear that the Trump administration’s embrace of alternative media—including bloggers, podcasters, and influencers—could challenge traditional journalistic standards and reshape the media landscape.
Throughout his term, Biden held fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents, noted Axios.
In contrast, Trump has answered nearly ten times as many questions during the first month of his presidency than Biden did.
🚨 NEW: Questions from the press taken in the first month, various presidents
🔵 Barack Obama: 161
🔴 Donald Trump [2017]: 199
🔵 Joe Biden: 141
🔴 Donald Trump [present]: 1,009National Journal pic.twitter.com/wIgNxWa3wa
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 26, 2025
The Harvard Crimson explained that “Jean-Pierre said that over the last month she has “deprogrammed” herself after the stress of her White House responsibilities, which required her to wake up at 4:30 a.m. for four years. Jean-Pierre wrote in a recent Vanity Fair op-ed that she was simultaneously caring for her mother, who was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023.
‘I have not missed it at all,’ she said. ‘It was an honor and a privilege to have the job, to be the White House press secretary, and I would do it again easily, but I don’t miss it.'”
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