VP suffers exodus of key staff
Kamala Harris’s office has been shaken by an exodus of senior staff, leading to further questions over her political future and management style.
Tensions have worsened after the decision of Symone Sanders to withdraw from the administration at the end of the month. Sanders, who acted as a senior adviser and chief spokeswoman, is the most prominent staff member to step away.
Many of the departures, including Ashley Etienne, communications chief, and two other staff members, come from the public relations team.
Other staff are reported to be edging towards the exit after the vice-president’s approval rating dropped to 28 per cent in a poll last month, which has made her the least popular vice-president since polling began.
Critics have claimed that the allegations of a dysfunctional operation and a heavy turnover of exhausted, demoralised staff are typical of Harris’s abrasive management style.
Gil Duran, who quit Harris’s team after five months in 2013, wrote in a column for the San Francisco Examiner that the ‘‘tales of chaos have a familiar ring to longtime Harris watchers in California’’, where she had served as attorney-general and then senator.
Democratic rivals are emboldened by reports that President Joe Biden has wearied of the tension with the vice-president. Harris is said to be frustrated that she has been saddled with solving the seemingly intractable issue of immigration on the southern US border, which she feels has not given her a chance to shine.
Duran conceded that Harris faced the twin obstacles of sexism and racism, which he said were ‘‘the only explanation for why some voters think she’s worse than Cheney, who lied us into disastrous wars, approved torture and accidentally shot a man in the face’’. He added: ‘‘But bigotry is baked into our politics and a successful politician must beat it, not just blame it.’’
Sanders herself had previously hit back at sources briefing about the chaos in the vicepresident’s office this summer, denouncing them as cowards. Five months on she is leaving.
‘‘I love Symone, and I can’t wait to see what she will do next, ‘‘ Harris said. ‘‘It’s been three years of a lot of jumping on and off planes.’’ Pressed on whether the departures were part of a big shakeup of her team, the vicepresident declined to comment.