WASHINGTON (AP) — Karine Jean-Pierre has become the first openly gay woman to deliver the White House press briefing and only the second Black woman in history to take on the role. Jean-Pierre, the White House principal deputy press secretary, had briefed reporters aboard Air Force One, but Wednesday marked her first time before the lectern for a televised briefing. Judy Smith, who served as deputy press secretary to President George H.W. Bush in 1991, was the first Black woman in the role. Jean-Pierre is seen as a potential successor to current White House press secretary Jen Psaki, and Wednesday’s appearance was seen as an audition of sorts for the job.
