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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Former Joe Biden administration official Tim Wu called Karine Jean-Pierre "kinda dumb" after the former White House press secretary revealed she is no longer a Democrat and announced her new book about her experiences.
Wu, who served as a special assistant to Biden for competition and technology policy, took aim at Jean-Pierre in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that has since been deleted.
"From WH policy staff perspective, the real problem with Karine Jean-Pierre was that she was kinda dumb. No interest in understanding harder topics. Just gave random incoherent answers on policy," wrote Wu, now a Columbia Law School professor.
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Responding to a question from another X user asking if a press secretary needs to know policy, Wu replied: "Yes it is the job of a GOOD press secretary to meet with policy staff and try and understand what the Administration is doing and why."
Newsweek has contacted Jean-Pierre for comment via email to her representatives.
Wu exited the Biden administration at the beginning of 2023. Jean-Pierre was elevated to press secretary in May 2022, replacing Jen Psaki, and served out the rest of Biden's term.
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Karine Jean-Pierre's Book
Jean-Pierre's book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, is set for release in the fall.
The book focuses on her time in the Biden White House, particularly the three weeks that led to Biden's decision to abandon his bid for a second term. It also urges Americans to abandon their partisanship and step outside party lines.
Jean-Pierre, who was often criticized during her tenure as press secretary for being evasive about Biden's physical and mental health, discusses the "betrayal by the Democratic Party" that led to Biden's withdrawal, according to her publishers.
"Until January 20, I was responsible for speaking on behalf of the President of the United States," Jean-Pierre said in a statement about her book.
"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."
Biden's Decline Under Scrutiny
Jean-Pierre's book is the latest to focus on the Biden White House and the 2024 presidential election, following the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's Original Sin, which details allegations about Biden's faltering health and a Democratic cover-up.
Biden's time in office was marked by concerns over his age and acuity, which came to a head after his disastrous presidential debate with Donald Trump last year.
He ultimately dropped out of the race and was replaced by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who faced an uphill battle with less than four months before the election.
After Harris lost to Trump, many Democrats demanded to know how much those close to Biden knew about his health decline before the debate.
Trump and House Republicans are now probing Biden officials, accusing them of covering up the extent of Biden's cognitive decline and taking decisions on his behalf because he was no longer competent to do so.
Biden has called the investigation a "distraction" and that he made all the decisions in his administration.
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