When one person leaves, it barely makes headlines since people go in and out of politics all the time. Working in the executive branch, even as a staffer for the Vice President, is an exhausting and demanding job. At this point in President Biden’s term, however, it’s odd to see so many departures occurring in the Vice President’s office considering she hasn’t even held the office for a full year yet. Sometimes staffers stay for two or four years, sometimes longer. These early departures have people asking questions, but no one seems to fully know what’s going on in the Vice President’s inner circle.
According to a new Axios report, Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson to Harris, will be exiting by the end of the year:
Symone Sanders, senior advisor and chief spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris, is leaving the VP’s office by the end of this year, three White House officials told Axios on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The VP has faced an onslaught of criticism in her first year centered on her leadership and staff, adding to the suggestion she’s not the Democratic Party’s preferred nominee for 2024.
The backdrop: Sanders was seen as one of the central staffers for Harris as a candidate and is known to be personally trusted by Harris herself. She’s the staffer most frequently by her side.
As Axios also noted in their short story, Sanders is not the first departure of senior-level staff from Harris’ office. A couple of weeks ago, communications director Ashley Etienne also announced she would be leaving sometime in December as well:
Vice President Kamala Harris’ communications director, Ashley Etienne, is leaving the Biden administration to pursue “other opportunities,” a White House official tells CNN.
“Ashley is a valued member of the vice president’s team, who has worked tirelessly to advance the goals of this administration,” the official said. “She is leaving the office in December to pursue other opportunities.”
So, what’s going on here within the Vice President’s office causing an exodus of top staff? You could say, well that’s only two people, and maybe they found better opportunities.
Well, it’s not just two people. There will be several more vacancies as well in the coming weeks:
News: Two more staffers are scheduled to depart VP Kamala Harris' office
-Vince Evans, deputy director of public engagement and intergovernmental affairs
-Peter Velz, director of press operations
Both are expected to take new jobs in or close to the administration
— Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) December 2, 2021
Some are leaving for work outside the administration, some are moving within the administration. The question is why?
Is Harris cleaning house after a dismal start to her first term as vice president? Is she blaming her aides for bad interviews and a general inability to connect with the American public? It seems most of Harris’ shortcomings derive directly from the candidate herself, not those around her.
Perhaps it’s deeper than that as reports and rumors have abounded for months of rifts between Biden staff and the Vice President’s office. There was clearly animous, as we documented recently, that the White House has been more vociferous in propping up and protecting Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg than it has been in defending Harris.
Could this be related to that rift over Buttigieg? Maybe:
Harris appears to be facing an exodus of staff amid reports that her director of press operations Peter Velz and deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs Vince Evans will also leave her office.
The departures have come following reports of a rift between Harris and President Joe Biden, a number of apparent errors in the vice president’s messaging and rumors of dysfunction in her office.
Etienne’s decision to leave the administration came last month after the White House had attempted to tamp down rumors of a rift between Harris and Biden amid reports of dysfunction in the vice president’s office.
There is likely any number of things going on we don’t know about, but staffers don’t usually like to hang around a losing team very long lest they get coated with the same losing paint. If Harris truly is on the block for replacement by 2024, or sooner, some of her top staff won’t be hanging around a sinking ship.
On the other hand, Harris desperately needs a rebranding and some new thinking within her inner circle. Whatever they’ve been doing or recommending hasn’t been working, so maybe they’re moving on as a courtesy to their boss, someone they respect and don’t want to see continually tarnished.
We’ll know more in the new year to see which direction Harris’ fortunes start to head. When you’re stuck at this low point, the only place to go is up. Usually.
