Her poll numbers are abysmal. Her office environment is reportedly a toxic wasteland. Who would stay here? Days after a CNN report once again resurrected old claims that Kamala Harris' office is a nightmare, her communications director, Ashley Etienne, has been shown the exit. Is this a "Toby Zeigler" moment, albeit one with no American astronauts in danger or state secrets being spilled to the press? Probably not—but the timing will probably raise eyebrows. The CNN story gets published, VP's office says it's gossip, and then Harris' key communications staffer gets the pink slip? Was Etienne the leaker?
Discuss that amongst yourselves, but if the VP's office wanted to dispel the rumors that have latched onto her office like the plague—axing or forcing out your communications director doesn't really help matters (via NY Post):
Found the leaker. https://t.co/2SmVbqSPwR
— RBe (@RBPundit) November 18, 2021
NEW: A WH official confirms @VP Kamala Harris’ Comms Director Ashley Etienne will be leaving her office in December to “pursue other opportunities.”
— Tim Perry (@tperry518) November 18, 2021
Confirming @VanityFair, VP Kamala Harris' Comms Director Ashley Etienne is departing the WH next month for "other opportunities," via @JasJWright + me: https://t.co/zYEE6nSQdo
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) November 18, 2021
Vice President Kamala Harris’ communications director is leaving her post as the veep’s office and White House battle tanking poll numbers and leaks detailing frustration among Harris allies.
Vanity Fair was first to report the departure of Ashley Etienne, while multiple outlets cited a White House official in reporting that her resignation would take effect next month.
The official said that Etienne was leaving the administration to “pursue other opportunities,” but did not elaborate.
The departure of Etienne — a former Biden campaign adviser who has also been a spokesperson for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — comes days after CNN reported that Harris has been increasingly sidelined in the administration and her working relationship with President Biden has become an “exhausted stalemate.”
On Thursday, Harris attempted to dispel the report, denying to ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that she felt, as the anchor put it, “misused or underused.”
However, those close to Harris have suggested that the first woman and first woman of color to be vice president has been entrusted with politically detrimental issues — like the ongoing border crisis — and not received the level of support given to other members of the administration.
Again, as we've noted, this isn't the first time Harris' office has been the subject of these sorts of reports. And it's always the same issues that have been reported about this office and the woman occupying it. Like her abysmal 2020 run, Harris and her crew are operating like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off. There's no discipline, no strategy, no messaging, and no results. She was supposed to be QB1 when it came to the COVID vaccination effort and getting the border under control. She has failed at both, and it's also created some bad blood between the two offices, with the VP's remaining staff seeing Biden pawning off the election-killer issues onto Harris.