Some Democrats are concerned Vice President Kamala Harris’ border stumbles and ''political tone-deafness'' could be disastrous for her in 2024 should she choose to run for president, Axios reports.
One liberal operative told the news outlet that most Democrats are thinking, "Oh, she’s [expletive deleted], maybe she shouldn't be the heir apparent,'' and some current senior administration officials think Harris wouldn’t be able to defeat a Republican nominee, including former President Donald Trump.
Several White House officials used "----show" when describing Harris’ office and some administration officials described the Harris operation as poorly managed. They also feel she’s been given bad advice by her press team.
Top White House officials, though, told Axios publicly that they support Harris.
"The president's trust and confidence in her is obvious when you see them in the Oval Office together,'' White House chief of staff Ron Klain told the news outlet in a statement.
"She’s delivering for the American people on immigration, small business, voting rights, and economic growth," he added. "The results speak for themselves: a decline of border arrivals from the Northern Triangle, improved vaccine equity, and increased economic opportunities for women."
Biden senior adviser Cedric Richmond called the reports of infighting ''a whisper campaign designed to sabotage'' Harris.
Harris’ senior adviser Symone Sanders also defended the vice president.
"People are not fighting every day," Sanders said. "There's not consternation among aides. That is not true. ... I hear that there are critics. Those who talk often do not know and those who know usually are not the ones talking."
Politico on Tuesday reported a tense and dour atmosphere in Harris’ office.
''People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment,'' said one person with direct knowledge of how the vice president’s office is run. ''It’s not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It’s not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like [expletive deleted.]''