The White House's Karine Jean-Pierre on Fixing MAGA's Mess
It’s almost impossible to not be mesmerized by Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, when she’s at the podium.
Fluent in English, French, and Haitian Creole, Jean-Pierre is as swift with retorts as Rachel Maddow, but without the bracing sarcasm and obvious disdain often coming from commentators (unless you ask her about Ted Cruz).She’s had a life of firsts under her belt (she’s the first Black, gay, Haitian American, and immigrant woman to ever serve as press secretary), but it certainly wasn’t a given.
Born in the French Caribbean island of Martinique, Jean-Pierre grew up in Queens, N.Y. Her mother, a devout Catholic, worked as a home health care aide.
And though he was an engineer by training, Jean-Pierre’s father became a taxi driver after coming to the U.S. To support their family, they worked seven days a week, often leaving Jean-Pierre to care for her younger siblings.Jean-Pierre can thank the late Black Congresswoman Barbara Jordan for her foray into politics.
