A former Trump White House official sharply criticized Karine Jean-Pierre’s performance as President Biden’s press secretary during an appearance on CNN Tuesday, renewing accusations from conservatives that the administration prioritizes diversity over merit.
Katie Miller, who served as press secretary to former Vice President Mike Pence and previously worked in the Trump administration’s communications shop, argued that Jean-Pierre was chosen for the role because she is a “gay, Black woman” rather than for her professional qualifications.
Her comments came during a segment on CNN’s The Lead focused on recent scrutiny of Jean-Pierre, including an interview she gave to The New Yorker that has drawn fresh attention to her tenure.
“I think what you’re seeing and what Karen is attesting to is that she is quite incompetent to do the job, right?” Miller said, responding to fellow panelist and former Clinton spokesperson Karen Finney. “This is what Republicans have been saying for years now, is that she is just another evidence that DEI doesn’t work, whether that’s in the White House in your press secretary role or whether that’s, you know, an air traffic controller, an air pilot, whether that’s your doctor. You know, you want to hire the best for the role, not just based on skin color, Jake. Why did she get the job over John Kirby?”
Finney pushed back, noting that affirmative action policies were initially implemented to advance women and minorities, and questioned why only Jean-Pierre’s identity is labeled “DEI.” “You know, gay woman is DEI, but a white woman who is behind the podium right now… why is one DEI and the other is not?” Finney asked.
Miller doubled down. “Why did she get the job over John Kirby?” she repeated. “Because as everyone has said this week, she is woefully incompetent.”
Host Jake Tapper interjected to offer context, noting Jean-Pierre’s prior roles in the media. “She used to be a commentator on CNN, then she was one on MSNBC, and she was good at that,” he said. He added that her appointment “didn’t seem crazy to me because she was eloquent as a commentator.”
But Miller dismissed the suggestion that Jean-Pierre’s communications background justified her role in the White House briefing room. “Why is she trained every four sentences to say she is a Black, queer, LGBTQ woman?” she asked. “Because that’s how she’s been promoted her entire career.”
Jean-Pierre, the first Black and openly LGBTQ press secretary to lead daily White House briefings, has long been a target of conservative commentators who argue that the Biden administration has leaned too heavily into symbolic representation. While supporters say she has broken barriers and withstood intense criticism in a polarized environment, her detractors — like Miller — view her as a sign of misplaced priorities.
The exchange on CNN reflects the broader partisan clash over diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across American institutions, a debate that increasingly centers not only on policy but on the individuals chosen to speak for the presidency itself.
[READ MORE: Tucker Carlson Apologizes to Nick Fuentes for Claiming He Was Gay]
