Overview
- Jean-Pierre’s memoir, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, is out this week as she launches a national tour kicking off in New York City before stops in Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago.
- She says she left the Democratic Party in June to become an independent because she “couldn’t stomach” how party leaders pressured Joe Biden to exit the 2024 race, describing a “firing squad.”
- Pressed on CBS Mornings, she reiterated that she never observed cognitive decline in Biden, saying he was “always engaged,” and explained she did not see him on the flight to the June 2024 debate until after it concluded.
- Her position mirrors September testimony to the House Oversight Committee where she said she saw no change in Biden’s competency over 16 years, while acknowledging he had aged as a speaker.
- Interviews on The Bulwark and CBS turned combative over her defense of Biden’s performance and media access, and former Biden aides criticized her book and motives, with some calling it “grift-y.”