Amid numerous reports across even the mainstream media that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are at odds and the veep’s aides are disgruntled, the White House is circling the wagons.
As report after report came out on Sunday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki took to Twitter to put the administration’s spin on the saga.
“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,” Psaki wrote on 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
Psaki’s tweet came after a CNN article on Sunday that suggested there was deep “dysfunction” within the vice president’s office. Top Harris staffers jumped in, too.
“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,” tweeted Symone Sanders, who serves as senior adviser and chief spokesperson for the vice president.
Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh tweeted, “Honored to work for @VP every day. She’s focused on the #BuildBackBetter agenda and delivering results for the American people.”
“Proud to be on team @VP every single day,” Assistant Press Secretary Rachel Palermo wrote.
The defense of Harris follows a pair of CNN reporters writing an article titled, “Exasperation and dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris’ frustrating start as vice president,” which cites dozens of staffers in Harris’ office and the White House saying there are problems between the two.
“But, with many sources speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the situation more frankly, they all tell roughly the same story: Harris’ staff has repeatedly failed her and left her exposed, and family members have often had an informal say within her office. Even some who have been asked for advice lament Harris’ overly cautious tendencies and staff problems, which have been a feature of every office she’s held, from San Francisco district attorney to U.S. Senate,” the reporters wrote.
Harris has plunged to 28% approval rating in one recent poll, and is reportedly not happy.
“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,” The Daily Mail reported. “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.”
CNN chimed in with this: “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.”
“Interviews with nearly three dozen former and current Harris aides, administration officials, Democratic operatives, donors and outside advisers — who spoke extensively to CNN — reveal a complex reality inside the White House. Many in the vice president’s circle fume that she’s not being adequately prepared or positioned, and instead is being sidelined. The vice president herself has told several confidants she feels constrained in what she’s able to do politically. And those around her remain wary of even hinting at future political ambitions, with Biden’s team highly attuned to signs of disloyalty, particularly from the vice president,” CNN said.