Karine Jean-Pierre To Become First Black & Openly LGBTQ+ White House Press Secy

Karine Jean-Pierre. 

(Photo: npr.org)

US President Joe Biden on Thursday, 5 May, named Karine Jean-Pierre as the new press secretary for the White House.

She will replace Jen Psaki on 13 May, under whom she served as deputy.

"She will be the first Black woman and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve as the White House Press Secretary," Psaki tweeted after the announcement.

"Representation matters and she will give a voice to many, but also make many dream big about what is truly possible," the outgoing press secretary added.

The new press secretary has worked for both former President Barack Obama's campaigns in 2008 and 2012 and then for Joe Biden's campaign in 2020.

It is after Biden became president that Jean-Pierre joined the White House. She has also worked as a political analyst for MSNBC and NBC News.

In his statement, the US president lauded Jean-Pierre's "experience, talent and integrity".

"Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this administration," he added.

Jean-Pierre was born in Martinique to Haitian parents who moved to the US. She was then raised in New York.

She has often asserted that her family's background was a determining factor in her career.

She is a strong advocate for mental health, and has shared her stories regarding depression and suffering sexual abuse.

Jean-Pierre had once said, "I am everything that Donald Trump hates."

(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)