Thursday, December 02, 2021
Spokeswoman goes to the end of the year
Again unrest in Kamala Harris’s team
Bad poll numbers, a lack of profile and turbulence in your own ranks: these are troubled times for the US Vice President. Shortly after the departure of her communications director, the spokeswoman for Kamala Harris is leaving the Democrat’s staff.
US Vice President Kamala Harris’s team is not calming down. In the midst of bad polls and negative headlines, Harris’ spokeswoman, Symone Sanders, will leave her post at the end of the year, the White House announced on request. Harris and President Joe Biden are grateful for Sanders’ work during the presidential campaign and first year in government, it said. She is a valued member of the White House and will be missing.
Only two weeks ago it became known that Harris’ communications director, Ashley Etienne, will also be leaving the team at the end of the year to “devote herself to other tasks”. The change comes in troubled times for Harris: Biden’s deputy has been struggling with declining approval ratings for months. Recently, media reports of frustration and dysfunction in Harris’ team also increased.
Overall, the first few months in office did not go well for the Democrat. The 57-year-old was cheered frenetically at the beginning as the first woman and first black woman in the US vice-presidency. So far, however, she has not been able to develop her own profile. In the first few weeks of the new administration, Harris hardly appeared at all in terms of content. She ended up entrusting Biden with several highly complex issues, including curbing illegal migration. Harris has not been able to score here, but instead made several mistakes and remained little visible overall.
White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki tried to dispel any impression of unrest on Harris’ team. Psaki said working in a presidential campaign and the first year of a new government is rewarding but also very stressful. It is a “natural” process that some employees devote themselves to new tasks after these intensive years and decided to sleep more and have more time for private matters.