White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has been busy this week in the wake of President Joe Biden announcing on Sunday that he’s quitting the Presidential race.

Biden’s decision came after weeks of mounting pressure following his much-criticized debate performance with Donald Trump. One of the most notable blows to his campaign was when the Hollywood star George Clooney wrote an op-ed for the New York Times imploring the President to step aside.

Just a few weeks earlier, Clooney had hosted a major fundraiser for the President.

Clooney wrote it was “devastating to say it”, but the Biden he met at the fundraising event in June was not the Biden of 2010. “He wasn’t even the Joe Biden of 2020.”

Jean-Pierre, who made history as the first out-queer and Black person to be appointed White House Press Secretary, guested on The View on Tuesday. Co-host Joy Behar asked her if Biden felt betrayed by the “pile on” from certain Democrats and figures such as Clooney calling on him to quit.

“He understands where people are,” Jean-Pierre replied. “He understands having done this, 36 years as a Senator, eight years as Vice President, and now almost four years as President … He gets where we are as a country.

“Let’s not forget, there’s a lot at stake. There’s a lot at stake guys, a lot. Our democracy is at stake. A woman’s right to choose and to make decisions on their body’s is at stake. Voting rights is at stake and he gets that. Let’s not forget why he ran in the first place. In 2020 he decided to jump in, he didn’t have to, he decided to jump in because he wanted to save the soul of this nation.”

Joe Biden addresses the nation

Jean-Pierre indicated the President would explain more in his own words when he addressed the nation from the Oval Office.

Biden did so last night, explaining that he quit because “nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy.”

He also said that stepping aside would foster unity.

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That is the best way to unite our nation.”

Biden endorses Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee.

Jean-Pierre and Peter Doocy clash

Jean-Pierre was again defending the President in a press call with reporters yesterday. Fox News correspondent Pete Doocy accused White House officials of covering up what some view as President Biden’s cognitive decline.

“It would seem that people in this White House knew that President Biden was slipping,” Doocy said. “And it was hidden from the American people. So, who ordered White House officials to cover up a declining president?”

“I know that that is a narrative that you love,” Jean-Pierre replied, before pointing out Biden’s recent press conference at the NATO summit.

Doocy continued to push, asserting he’d been covering the President up close for the past five years.

“I know that is the narrative that you all want,” Jean-Pierre said. “I’m going to say this again, and you’re going to hear directly from the president. I hope you listen tonight.

“What I will say is that it is not easy making a decision that the president made on Sunday,” she continued. “And so the fact that he was able to make that decision in a selfless way, that’s admirable.”

Watch below.

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Karine Jean-Pierre Makes History as the First Black, Openly LGBTQ Press Secretary

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