The communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris has handed in her resignation as the VP takes a nosedive in approval polling and rumors swirl about an apparent rift with President Joe Biden.
Ashley Etienne resigned Thursday, the Washington Examiner reported, adding, “Etienne’s last day will be next month as the office opens for a new official to take the role.”
A White House official issued a diplomatic statement in the wake of the news, calling the outgoing comms director a “valued member” of the team.
“Ashley is a valued member of the vice president’s team, who has worked tirelessly to advance the goals of this administration,” the official said. “She is leaving the office in December to pursue other opportunities.”
Etienne’s exit announcement comes on the heels of devastating USA Today/Suffolk University polling that showed Harris earning a dismal 28% approval rating, ten points behind President Joe Biden’s, at a not-so-pretty 38% approval. The Daily Wire’s Joseph Curl reported Monday:
Vice President Kamala Harris has plunged to 28% approval rating in one recent poll, and President Joe Biden is apparently not too happy. One report says she’s not even considered to be Biden’s successor in the White House anymore, while another says the president is considering moving her to the Supreme Court so he can pick a new veep who might have a change to win in 2024. Yet another report says the two top elected officials in the country are at war, prompting desperate Harris aides to defend their bosses, slamming the media for “gossip.”
Curl noted that the VP has “pulled the most impressive disappearing act since The Great Houdini — AWOL on the Southern border crisis and dispatched to Paris for meaningless talks (she also gushed about some pans and skillets she bought on a shopping spree in an embarrassing photo op).”
“Joe Biden’s relationship with Kamala Harris is in crisis, with her staff furious that she is being ‘sidelined,’ while the president’s team are increasingly frustrated by how she is playing with American public,” reported the Daily Mail. “Harris’ approval rating has plunged even further than Biden’s in recent months, with rumors swirling that the president is considering appointing her to the Supreme Court as a backdoor method of selecting a new VP.”
“Many current and former West Wing aides say that Vice President Kamala Harris is not being adequately prepared or positioned, and instead is being sidelined, causing frustration among staffers,” CNN echoed.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Sunday felt the need to publicly affirm President Biden’s support of Harris.
“For anyone who needs to hear it. [VP Kamala Harris] is not only a vital partner to [President Joe Biden] 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,” Psaki posted via Twitter.
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.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) November 15, 2021
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