Ex-Trump White House official calls Karine Jean-Pierre ‘incompetent’ and proof ‘DEI doesn’t work’

Katie Miller suggested the former Biden spokesperson was never qualified for the job, despite her years of experience and education in government and policy.

Karine Jean-Pierre was personally attacked on CNN by former White House official Katie Miller, who called the former White House press secretary “incompetent” and proof that “DEI doesn’t work.”

Jean-Pierre has been in the news a lot lately due to several interviews promoting her new post-White House book, “Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines.” The book details Jean-Pierre’s historic run as the first Black and LGBTQ+ White House press secretary, and what she describes as a betrayal of her former boss, President Joe Biden, which is credited for her decision to leave the Democratic Party.

While discussing Jean-Pierre’s new book and how her defense of Biden has ignited chatter in political circles, Miller, who served as an advisor and spokesperson for the formerly Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency, suggested the former Biden spokesperson was never qualified for the job, despite her years of experience and education in government and policy.

“I saw her interview this morning in The New Yorker…she is quite incompetent to do the job, right? This is what Republicans have been saying for years now,” said Miller, who is the wife of Trump White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who has pushed white nationalist conspiracy theories and ideology.

“She is just another evidence that DEI doesn’t work, whether that’s in the White House in your press secretary role or whether that’s, you know, an air traffic controller, an air pilot, whether that’s your doctor,” said Katie Miller. “You know, you want to hire the best for the role, not just based on skin color.”

Karen Finney, a longtime political consultant, quickly rebuffed Miller’s dig at Jean-Pierre, pointing out that current White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is 28, could also be considered a DEI hire.

“You know, gay woman is DEI, but a white woman who is behind the podium right now, which DEI initially started as affirmative action, which was about affirmatively hiring women and minorities, why is one DEI and the other is not?” said Finney.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper also defended Jean-Pierre’s qualifications, noting, “I will just say she used to be a commentator on CNN, then she was one on MSNBC, and she was good at that. Like, I mean, without getting into the job I thought she did as press secretary, it didn’t seem crazy to me because she was eloquent as a commentator.”

President Biden named Jean-Pierre as press secretary in May 2022, saying in a statement that she brought “experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job.”

Prior to being named press secretary, Jean-Pierre served as Biden’s longtime advisor, including his during his time as vice president during the Obama administration.

She worked on several Democratic campaigns, including President Barack Obama’s 2008 and President Biden’s 2020 campaigns. Jean-Pierre also served as spokeswoman for the progressive advocacy group MoveOn.org and worked as a political analyst for years.

Jean-Pierre obtained a pre-med degree from New York Institute of Technology and a master’s in public policy at Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, where she would return years later as a faculty lecturer.