“Incoherent,” “entertaining,” “career-ending” — critics torch ex-Biden aide’s new tell-all
Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is getting roasted online after sitting down with The New Yorker to promote her new book — and promptly setting off a political firestorm.
Her memoir, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines,” takes aim at the Democratic Party for turning on former President Joe Biden, who quit the 2024 race after weeks of pressure from his own team and a humiliating debate performance.
But the backlash hit hard. Political commentators and journalists ripped into the interview with New Yorker reporter Isaac Chotiner, posting screenshots that left readers slack-jawed.
Journalist Josh Barro zeroed in on one bizarre exchange where Jean-Pierre insisted the “broken White House” in her title wasn’t Biden’s — it was President Donald Trump’s.
“You’re telling me about the feelings of Joe Biden, blah, blah, blah, but Joe Biden is out of the picture. He’s out of the picture,” Jean-Pierre said.
“Yeah, he sure is,” Chotiner replied.
“This is what you wrote your book about,” the interviewer shot back. “I am not bringing it up randomly.”
Jean-Pierre doubled down, claiming her book was really about “the moment the country is in.” Then she turned her fire on her own side: “So what are the Democratic leadership actually doing to beat back and fight back? What are they doing?”
Although the howler in the KJP interview that’s really not getting enough attention is this: She says that in the title of her book about her time in the White House, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House…” the “broken White House” being referred to is the Trump… pic.twitter.com/czVeR4pxkP
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 28, 2025
Critics couldn’t believe it.
“Good Lord. Read this entire interview. It’s hard to even begin to describe Karine Jean-Pierre’s answers. They are largely incoherent,” wrote New York Times columnist David French, who said the former press secretary was obsessed with loyalty and respect.
Good lord. Read this entire interview. It’s hard to even begin to describe Karine Jean-Pierre’s answers. They are largely incoherent, but one thing that does come through is that she is obsessed with loyalty and respect, and real problem in 2024 wasn’t that Biden chose to run… https://t.co/5P1shIKQV9
— David French (@DavidAFrench) October 27, 2025
Semafor’s David Weigel wrote, “Turns out you can do a career-ending interview even after your career is over.”
Turns out you can do a career-ending interview even after your career is over. https://t.co/QqBN5WPwYV
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) October 27, 2025
Once meant to relaunch her career — the book may have just buried it.
