Karine Jean-Pierre Addresses Biden's Decision Not to Seek Reelection

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a press briefing to emphasize that President Biden's decision to drop out of the race is not due to health concerns and defends his accomplishments during his term.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre held a press conference on Monday, February 13, 2023, to address President Biden's decision not to seek reelection in 2024.

Jean-Pierre began the briefing by expressing condolences to the family and friends of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who passed away over the weekend. She also condemned the killing of Sonya Massey, who was fatally shot by an Illinois sheriff's deputy in her home.

Karine Jean-Pierre Addresses Biden's Decision Not to Seek Reelection

Turning to the president's decision, Jean-Pierre read from a letter Biden issued on Sunday. "It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president," Jean-Pierre quoted. "And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term."

Jean-Pierre then defended the president against any notion that he is resigning from his current post. "We believe, and any suggestion of that note is ridiculous," Jean-Pierre stated. "I just laid out what the president has been able to do in almost four years, and it's been successful."

Karine Jean-Pierre Addresses Biden's Decision Not to Seek Reelection

When asked why Biden stepped down and if it was related to his health, Jean-Pierre dodged the question again and deferred to the president's address on Wednesday evening. "The president's going to speak to this directly to the American people tonight in prime time," she said. "He will, I promise you, he will speak to this directly to all of you tonight."

Jean-Pierre also denied that Biden felt bullied to leave the race. "It's obviously a historic moment, but a decision like this is very personal," she said. "It's not easy to make. I think it speaks to how honorable this president is, how selfless this president is, that he was able to make this decision and say, it is not about me, it is about the American people."

Karine Jean-Pierre Addresses Biden's Decision Not to Seek Reelection

Jean-Pierre concluded the briefing by emphasizing that Biden's decision was not an easy one to make. "This is about the country and making, again, a personal, difficult decision," she said. "I think that speaks for itself, I really do."