White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been promoted to senior adviser to the president, ABC News has learned.
“Karine has been a trusted advisor to the President and all of us here at the White House since day one. Her counsel will be critical to get as much done as possible for the American people in the coming months,” said Jeff Zients, the president’s chief of staff.
Jean-Pierre made history in 2022 when she was tapped to become the press secretary, becoming the first Black woman and the first openly gay person to take on the role.
“Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration,” Biden said of Jean-Pierre in a 2022 statement when he announced her as press secretary.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appears during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on July 25, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Nurphoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Jean-Pierre will now be alongside the ranks of the president’s top confidantes like senior advisers Mike Donilon, Steve Richetti and Bruce Reed. A White House official said that her promotion shows the faith that Biden has in her, as well as his commitment to having diverse and inter-generational voices guiding him in his decisions.
Jean-Pierre will begin her new role effective immediately. She will also maintain her press secretary duties through the end of Biden’s administration, the first press secretary in decades to also hold the title of senior adviser.
The move also shows the increased influence of the communications and press operations in the Biden White House. When former senior adviser Anita Dunn left her role, Communications Director Ben LaBolt was promoted to senior adviser.