US PRESIDENT JOE Biden has named Karine Jean-Pierre as the next White House press secretary, the first Black woman to hold the high-profile post.

Jean-Pierre, who will also be the first openly LGBTQ person in the role, will replace Jen Psaki, under whom she served as deputy, from 13 May, according to a White House statement.

Born to a Haitian immigrant family, Jean-Pierre became in May last year only the second Black woman to lead a White House press briefing.

She has served in senior communication and political roles in the Biden Administration, the Biden campaign, and to then-Vice President Biden during the Obama Administration.

Previously, she was as Chief Public Affairs Officer for MoveOn.org and an NBC and MSNBC Political Analyst.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden said: “I am proud to announce that Karine Jean-Pierre will serve as the next White House Press Secretary.”

“Karine not only brings the experience, talent and integrity needed for this difficult job, but she will continue to lead the way in communicating about the work of the Biden-Harris Administration on behalf of the American people,” Biden said.

“Jill and I have known and respected Karine a long time and she will be a strong voice speaking for me and this Administration.

“Jen Psaki has set the standard for returning decency, respect and decorum to the White House Briefing Room. I want to say thank you to Jen for raising the bar, communicating directly and truthfully to the American people, and keeping her sense of humor while doing so.

“I thank Jen her service to the country, and wish her the very best as she moves forward.”

Current White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is understood to be leaving the role for a television position.

Psaki had previously said she did not want to remain in the job, which made her the most visible face of Biden’s team, for more than about a year.

Psaki, 43, had been in the role since the start of Biden’s administration in January 2021.

Psaki restored the tradition of daily live briefings with White House reporters, saying she wanted to rebuild trust between the administration and the media after the tumultuous Trump years, when briefings were ultimately abandoned.

Under Barack Obama, she served in the less visible White House communications director role and also as State Department spokeswoman.

“At whatever time I leave the White House, I can promise you the first thing I’m going to do is sleep and spend time with my three- and six-year olds, who are my most important audiences,” Psaki said in April.

Additional reporting by Lauren Boland