Any day in the past two and a half years, the White House press secretary Kalin Jean-Pierre will appear in the office, but I don't know how it will develop that day. She may announce on the podium that President Joe Biden has just protected millions of acres of the Arctic Wild, or she may have to defend the country's decision to allow China to monitor the balloon from the country, or she may jump to jump On Sunday afternoon, she learned that her boss would withdraw from the presidential election as opposite him and her strong denial.
Last Thursday was no exception: Jean Pierre arrived at the White House after breakfast to Dr. Martin Luther Kim, and was ready to cooperate with Biden to prepare to speak to the public later on the afternoon of the day. "I go to give a speech preparation with him -then, so, everything has changed," she told me Roller bandEssence When preparing for the speech, they got the news that after Gaza's ruthless and devastating war, Israel and Hamas finally reached a ceasefire agreement. The rest to do is to figure out how to pass the message.
"The president first speaks first. The first sentence he said is:" Today is a beautiful day ', so I can say on the podium: "President said: Today is a beautiful day.'" ...... We At the end of this war, the hostages are finally going home 15 months later. We will provide Gaza with the most important humanitarian assistance. Gaza's innocent civilians can finally get some peace ... This is a great day. This is the last time I notified the situation. "
Jean-Pierre left the White House and became the longest-serving female press secretary in American history. In May 2022, she was appointed as the main spokesman for the Biden government. At that time, the age of his age and whether he was suitable for re -election became greater and more and more. Note. A statistics announced last summer found that the number of press conferences and media interviews held during his term of office was far less than any of the seven presidents in the past. (The White House refuted that Biden often had an informal chat with the media.)
In a period of challenging her personal life, this is a challenging investment portfolio: to-Pierre recently publicly acknowledged that her mother was diagnosed with the second phase of colon cancer after nine months of receiving the job. Essence Nevertheless, she said, "Standing on that podium, behind that podium, every day is a surprising day, because I have to do this."
Jean-Pierre and Roller band Regarding the challenges of this job, she is proud of this, and in retrospect, whether she will deal with the age of Biden's age in different ways.
For space and clarity, this interview has been edited.
First of all, how are you? You finally get away from the high -pressure cooker.
I will be very honest: I do very well. I think, because of more than four years, adrenaline has been flowing in my blood vessels -every day, like what you said, like a high -pressure cooker; getting up at 4:30 in the morning and going home at more than seven o'clock. When you have a mother's responsibilities, they continue to travel. I thought I would encounter such strange things. When I woke up in the morning, I thought, "God, what am I doing? What am I doingIntersection Intersection 'I haven't been like this. If there is any difference, that is, my body and brain are happy and I can relax. I am sorting out my storage unit, sending my children to school, picking up my child from school, spending time with her, and contacting her friends through the phone, just a little low -key.
For many intentions and purposes, in the past two and a half years, you have always been the public image of Bayeng government. How does this affect your life outside the White House?
I like to run out, but because of this job and my popularity, this becomes more difficult. In the past few years, I will be recognized anywhere. Grocery stores, restaurants, and my children's schools -none. I was recognized everywhere. It doesn't matter. Among these roles, I have no security and special service bureau, so I must be very careful. I have a special car service to pick me up from get off work, so I feel very safe, but in addition, you have to rely on yourself. I grew up in New York. When you grow up in New York, you will pay great attention (the surrounding environment).
You are a black woman, immigration, and Queer -and the first of all these categories to serve as the White House press secretary -but your identity also places you in the center of Ventu. The Trump administration has threatened or has aimed. For example, on the first day he took office, he revoked the administrative order for discrimination -based discrimination -based discrimination. How did you deal with it? Are you worried about your safety?
I am worried about no mine Safety. I care about the community I represent. I'm worried Their Safety. We have done this before. We saw what happened at that time -separating children from our mother, we saw hatred from the government, our democracy was attacked, and people were attacked by freedom. I think you all suggest: everything I hate. This is a very terrible idea. Besides, I am good, but there are some fragile people in the world. They need opportunities, some care, some love, and need to create a better life for themselves, or just spend a whole life in a certain place. time. Now they are attacked and their protection measures are also deprived.
Can you depict my experience for me last year? One year ago, Biden just ended the preliminary election of New Hampshire.
I have to sit down and reflect on and truly handle the role of the past year, four years, and two and a half years -as of today, I am the longest position of the female press secretary in history. But these tasks are unpredictable. We live in an unpredictable climate ... I think, obviously, what helps me through the difficulties is to work for the former government and Biden. But this is really difficult. This is a situation of ups and downs.
You mentioned up and down. Let's start with advantages: which day the best day you work?
Every day I drive through the White House gate, pass through the West Wing Hall, and go to my office, where is only one arrow away from the oval office -my office is connected to the oval office and the press release room -then I am in I am in That office stayed for two and a half years. Nothing is better than this. Sometimes I go through the West Wing Hall, I think, Wow. I dare not believe you will do thisEssence Sometimes I have to pinch myself. My daughter is 10 years old. When I was 10 years old, I never dreamed of this.
What is the worst?
When the president decided to withdraw from the election. It was a difficult day. Earlier on Sunday afternoon, we received a call. ("We" refers to the senior staff of the White House and the senior staff of the campaign team.) This is a very fast call, an improvisation phone. He was infected with the new coronal virus and was isolated in Travo. If the situation is really bad, obviously I won't find that. But I remember when his name appeared -when the president appeared on the Zoom -I remember I was thinking: "This is not good. What do you want to tell us?" At the beginning, I thought, WowEssence My heart sank suddenly.
But there are two sides of the coins here. He stepped down. That is devastating. But then he did another thing, and was about to pass the torch to Vice President Kamara Harris. This is'Wow!'We change from heartbreak to: hey, now we are about to nominate the first black female presidential candidate, and there may be the first black female president -the first Miss president. So this is one of the things, just like "What happened?!"
It was a difficult day. But then you saw his patriotic spirit. You see how he puts the country first, he wants to truly unite the party through this. But that's a difficult day. I still feel my heart is sinking -not even sinking or falling.
Obviously, people argued for several weeks after the debate on whether he would continue to serve as a nomination. Did you not expect that he would drop out of school?
I don't know how carefully you are watching my briefing, but no. I stood on the podium, and many of us were present that he would not exit. He said himself. He doesn't plan to do so. Listening, I think the only person who can tell the story is him. I am convinced that he would do this when the time was mature. But for me? No, I am talking to him every time, We are moving at full speedEssence
Since taking office, you have answered questions about Biden's age and health. Is the reporter's question of Biden's age and health status substantial? Do you take when dealing with them?
Historians will definitely review all this. I think it will be interesting to see how this government is. The president showed that he was able to govern in a way that many two presidents could not govern. The president I see is a president who puts pressure on us and raises sharp questions. He really wants to make sure that we are talking about what he is doing in a way of contacting the American people -this is my press as a press in the press. Character -or, for policy makers, to propose creative and unpacking ideas to find out how to deal with the problem. This is what I see. This is my experience. I refuted there, and I explained why we believe this is the best candidate to complete this work, and why he did well, and why he was willing to be competent.
However, when I returned to the news part, I said this on the podium. I really and really believe this: Freedom of the press is very important. It is the cornerstone of our democracy. Sometimes I disagree with their point of view, and they do not agree with me, but we have this healthy back and forth. This is what we have done: this is what I have done in two and a half years, and this is what we have done as the government for four years. When we think the reporting method is inaccurate, we will fight back; when they want more answers and more information, they will also counterattack. This is why this country is so beautiful. This is why democracy plays a role.