Harris: I don't feel misused by White House
Multiple news stories over the past week have depicted the vice president's office as a dysfunctional work environment.
Vice President Kamala Harris denied Thursday that she felt her political potential and policy expertise were being wasted by the White House, rebutting several days of negative media reports about her office and broader role in the Biden administration.
Those remarks from Harris came in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America," when host George Stephanopoulos asked her whether she considered herself "misused or underused" as vice president.
"No, I don't," Harris replied. "I am very, very excited about the work that we have accomplished. But I am also absolutely, absolutely clear-eyed that there is a lot more to do. And we're going to get it done."
Multiple news stories over the past week have depicted the vice president's office as a dysfunctional work environment and Harris herself as a talented politician often relegated to tackling intractable assignments across the federal government — ranging from voting rights to the root causes of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The reports have prompted public pushback from top administration officials and prominent aides to President Joe Biden, who have argued Harris remains a valuable partner to the president.
On Wednesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki went further in her defense of Harris, telling POLITICO she believed recent criticism of the vice president is rooted in part in Harris being the first woman and person of color to hold the office.