U.S. VP Harris' top aide Sanders to leave office in latest departure
Send a link to a friend
[December 02, 2021]
By Nandita Bose
(Reuters) -Vice President Kamala Harris's
senior adviser and chief spokesperson Symone Sanders is leaving by the
end of the year, the latest high-profile departure from her office amid
growing concerns over Harris's communication strategy and how well she
is being positioned for future roles.
Sanders worked for President Joe Biden for nearly three years, and often
traveled with Harris on domestic and foreign trips.
She worked with the vice president as she navigated complex issues such
as voting rights in the United States and fixing root causes of
migration from Central America's Northern Triangle countries.
"VP values Symone and she is beloved...grateful to have her through the
end of the year," a White House official who did not wish to be
identified said, confirming her departure.
Earlier this month, Ashley Etienne, Harris's communications director,
also left the administration.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Dec/02/images/ads/current/rohlfs_lda_072017.png)
A separate White House official familiar with the situation said the
departures come amid concerns Harris is not being adequately prepared or
positioned, and instead is being sidelined.
Messaging challenges have been a constant struggle for Harris's office
through the first year of this administration.
In June, she was grilled during an interview by an NBC anchor over why
she had not visited the U.S.-Mexico border despite being put in charge
of the nation's migrant crisis.
This was followed by a woman who claimed to be a
reporter who made her way into the vice president's news conference in
Mexico. More recently, Harris's first in-studio interview was scuttled
after anchors on the show tested positive for COVID-19 at the last
minute.
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/120221PIX/news_e9.jpg)
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris walks with Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Spokesperson Symone
Sanders to board Air Force Two at El Paso International Airport in
El Paso, Texas, U.S., June 25, 2021. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
![](../images/ads/current/centraldirect_lda_SPONSOR_2021.png)
Sanders, who did not respond to a request seeking comment, sent a
note to staff on Wednesday announcing her decision.
"From my first days on the President's campaign to traveling with
the VP when she joined the ticket, to witnessing the historic
swearing in of the President and Vice President. It's been an
honor," she said.
Sanders worked for the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders
in 2016 before becoming an adviser on Biden's 2020 presidential
campaign. She frequently defended Biden on television and helped him
build support with Black voters.
She also made it known, both privately and in her memoir, that she
was interested in becoming the White House Press Secretary and the
first Black woman to hold the job but was passed over for the role
earlier this year.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington, Additional reporting by
Kanishka Singh; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Kim Coghill)
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Dec/02/images/ads/current/2021_lda_Businessdirectory.png) |