Harris’ campaign has been embroiled in a power struggle in recent weeks, with factions vying for power and control, six people, including aides familiar with the developments, said. Politico Christopher Cadelago on Monday.
of Report He said the campaign was rife with “friction,” “internal tensions,” “anxiety,” “raw emotion,” “badmouthing” and “discontent,” reflecting the dysfunction that had plagued Senator Harris and the Vice President’s office.
The rival factions are reportedly made up of Biden’s former staff and Harris’ new staff, and they disagree over how to reform the campaign’s power structure to stop former President Donald Trump from staging the biggest political comeback in the history of American politics.
In recent weeks, the campaign has hired several former staffers from former President Barack Obama to help run it, but the staffers, including former Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, are at odds with Jen O’Malley Dillon, a former Biden White House staffer and chair of Harris’ campaign. Politico Reported.
“When you have 2,000 people and the front of the line changes, it certainly takes a minute to make sure everyone is seated properly, so we still have work to do on that front,” O’Malley Dillon told Cadelago.
The power struggle within Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign is similar to the turmoil within the Senate and Vice President’s offices. Politico Cadelago reported:
While the unrest within the campaign may subside in the three-month rush to November, aides also worry that the scope and importance of the unrest could expand and lead to troubles lower down the chain of command. Harris built a chaotic operation during the 2020 presidential primary and allowed it to fester, creating bottlenecks and dysfunction throughout the organization. In her first two years as vice president, a series of staff departures and internal rifts have reinforced the notion that she cannot properly assemble and lead a harmonious team. But Harris and her staff have been working hard to overcome all the drama of the past, and the scaled-down 2024 campaign is the latest test of whether she can keep it going.
Several Harris aides told Politico they worried rising tensions among campaign staff would spill over onto the vice president, which they say is unfortunate and unfair given the strides Harris has made in recent years to build a cohesive and loyal campaign.
But some of Harris’ supporters have noticed some former Biden aides quietly grumbling about now having to work for her, and there’s been considerable anger directed at Rob Flaherty, a top digital strategist who holds the title of deputy campaign manager.
