White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says folks need to back off her predecessor, Karine Jean-Pierre.
During a sitdown with Turning Point USA CEO Erika Kirk, Leavitt criticized former President Joe Biden for the “hard time” Jean-Pierre had in the role.
Leavitt explained that she is “very grateful” that President Trump is so direct and open with his team.
Leavitt says it’s a stark contrast to Biden’s lack of accessibility, which she believes made it difficult for Jean-Pierre to carry out her duties as the top White House spokesperson.
“He just lays it on the table,” Leavitt said of what it’s like working with Trump, during the event at George Washington University.
“There’s no guessing. There’s no questioning. There’s no spin. It just is what it is with him.
“And so, as his spokeswoman, I’m very grateful for that because I saw my predecessor in this role have a bit of a hard time, I think, and I think it’s because she wasn’t able to communicate with her boss in a very open and transparent way.”
Jean-Pierre, who replaced Jen Psaki as press secretary in 2022 and served in the role until Biden left office.
She was often criticized for sticking to talking points, seeming unprepared and dispensing little information during her White House briefings.
She was viewed as incompetent by many White House insiders, including senior Biden aides who attempted unsuccessfully to convince her to leave the White House in late 2023, according to a New York Post report at the time.
A staunch defender of Biden, Jean-Pierre announced last year she was no longer a Democrat because of the party’s treatment of her former boss.
“Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States,” Jean-Pierre said in a statement at the time.
“At noon on that day, I became a private citizen who, like all Americans and many of our allies around the world, had to contend with what was to come next for our country. I determined that the danger we face as a country requires freeing ourselves of boxes. We need to be willing to exercise the ability to think creatively and plan strategically.”
Jean-Pierre acknowledged during testimony before the House Oversight Committee last year that talking points were given to her by “various advisers” relating to President Biden’s health and mental acuity.
She admitted in an interview with PEOPLE that she didn’t miss being in the spotlight.
Jean-Pierre said her months since leaving the White House had involved “self-care, sleep, hanging out with my family, hanging out with my friends.”