Chris Lange, FISM News
White House officials have launched a damage-control campaign on behalf of Kamala Harris on the heels of a scathing CNN report claiming the Vice President’s “entrenched dysfunction and lack of focus” has left the Biden administration exasperated. The critical exposé, representing a stark departure from the typically far-left-leaning news outlet, sent shockwaves through the nation’s capital and beyond, forcing West Wing staffers to rush to the embattled VP’s aid.
“For anyone who needs to hear it. @VP is not only a vital partner to @POTUS but a bold leader who has taken on key, important challenges facing the country — from voting rights to addressing root causes of migration to expanding broadband,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki tweeted late Sunday.
Several Harris aides also took to social media to say that their boss is not being given the credit she deserves.
The Vice President’s senior advisor and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders tweeted “It is unfortunate that after a productive trip to France in which we reaffirmed our relationship with America’s oldest ally and demonstrated U.S. leadership on the world stage, and following passage of a historic, bipartisan infrastructure bill that will create jobs and strengthen our communities, some in the media are focused on gossip — not on the results that the President and Vice President have delivered.”
Let me reiterate: pic.twitter.com/zAxoXkFyQu
— SDS (@SymoneSanders46) November 14, 2021
“Honored to work for @VP every day. She’s focused on the #BuildBackBetter agenda and delivering results for the American people” Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a tweet.
Honored to work for @VP every day. She’s focused on the #BuildBackBetter agenda and delivering results for the American people.
— Sabrina Singh (@SabrinaSingh46) November 14, 2021
The article was also met with accusations of racism and misogyny, though co-author Jasmine Wright is a black woman.
The CNN piece published Sunday features interviews with “nearly three dozen former and current Harris aides, administration officials, Democratic operatives, donors and outside advisers” who claim relationships between respective staff members of President Biden and Harris are marked by “bitterness” and mounting “irritations.”
According to the article, the Harris team believes Biden’s staff is not giving her enough support while saddling her with assignments that put her in “no-win political situation[s],” placing her political future in jeopardy. “Many in the vice president’s circle fume that she’s not being adequately prepared or positioned, and instead is being sidelined,” it reads. Sources from Biden’s team, on the other hand, say Harris’ problems are of her own making.
The article goes on to detail the vice president’s disastrous handling of the unprecedented chaos at the southern border, saying she “didn’t want to be assigned to manage” the crisis in the first place. Sources also told CNN that President Biden’s team has been unhappy with Harris’ dismissive attitude toward her responsibilities as border “czar,” perhaps best evidenced by her cringeworthy interview with NBC’s Lester Holt during which the VP repeatedly laughed in response to Holt’s questions about her plans to visit the border and strategy to remediate the crisis.
Other televised appearances by the vice president have done little in the way of improving her likability among Americans. Recent poll numbers show Harris’ favorability at a dismal 27.8 percent. Last week, the VP was widely panned for appearing to feign a foreign accent while speaking with scientists during her visit to France. In October, Harris was ridiculed for her bizarre, over-the-top performance during a video discussion about space with children later revealed to be paid actors.
Sources also told CNN reporters Harris feels the Biden team is going out of their way to shut her out while shining a favorable spotlight on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, her purported rival for the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee should Biden choose not to run for a second term. Insiders also describe a toxic work environment made worse by Harris’ alleged dependence on her sister, Maya, in making key decisions.