Top Aide for Kamala Harris Throws in the Towel as VP’s Approval Ratings Continue to Plunge

By
David Rufful
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OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.

Troubles for Vice President Kamala Harris continue to worsen.

Amid plummeting poll numbers and a scathing piece from CNN, we have learned that the communications director for Vice President Kamala Harris is stepping down.

CNN interviewed nearly three dozen current and former staffers for Harris which showed there is “dysfunction” within her team.

The report said the White House is growing increasingly frustrated with “entrenched dysfunction and lack of focus” from Harris and her staff.

“Harris is struggling with a rocky relationship with some parts of the White House, while long-time supporters feel abandoned and see no coherent public sense of what she’s done or been trying to do as vice president,” CNN reported.

Harris’ approval numbers have hit rock bottom at only 28 percent, according to USA Today. Business Insider reports this is a “historic low for any modern vice president,” even lower than former vice president Dick Cheney.

Here’s the latest statement on Harris’ office via Vanity Fair:

“Vice President Kamala Harris’s communications chief Ashley Etienne is leaving the White House,” the statement reads.

“A veteran of the Barack Obama administration and a former senior adviser to both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden, Etienne transitioned to Harris’s team in the weeks following the 2020 election,” it continues.

“When Etienne joined the vice president’s office she told me she would stay for the first year, but still her departure comes after a raft of stories on infighting and low morale in the vice president’s office,” it reports.

CNN explains further, “Etienne’s departure comes after CNN detailed significant tension between West Wing aides and the vice president’s office.”

“CNN reported that several people on Harris’ staff had started to reach out to contacts to say they’re looking to leave, according to sources who’ve gotten calls.”

The White House appears to be scrambling to Harris’ defense. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki spoke out on Twitter about Harris amid her sinking poll numbers.

“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 tweeted.

Harris’ office has also appeared to respond to CNN.

Senior adviser and chief spokesperson for Harris, Symone Sanders, wrote, “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.”

More from Fox News:

Shortly afterward, 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.

CNN reporters Edward-Isaac Dovere and Jasmine Wright published an article titled “Exasperation and dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris’ frustrating start as vice president.” The article highlights repeated conflicts between Harris, her staff and the White House.

“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.