The White House on Friday dismissed comments from anonymous sources complaining about the “abusive” enforcement in Vice President Kamala Harris’s office in recent reports.
“I would first note that I try not to speak to or engage on anonymous reports or anonymous sources,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during the daily press briefing when asked about the reports.
The White House frequently and systematically uses anonymous sources to brief reporters on their forthcoming agenda, requiring them to agree to only refer to officials as a “senior administration official.”
Anonymous White House officials told Axios in a report Friday that the vice president’s office is a “shitshow.”
On Wednesday, Politico reported “short fuses” in the office and an “abusive environment”
“It’s not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like shit,” said a person Politico cited as having “direct knowledge” of the situation.
Psaki defended Harris as “an incredibly important partner” to President Joe Biden, despite reports featuring staff members complaining about the brutal working environment.
“She has a challenging job, a hard job, and she has a great supportive team of people around her,” Psaki said. “But other than that, I’m not going to have any more comments on those reports.”
After White House reporters called out Psaki’s quote attacking anonymous sources on Twitter, she specifically addressed her comment on social media.
I think everyone knows the difference between attacking someone as an anonymous source and providing details on a policy announcement to reporters in an effort to provide information and answer media questions
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) July 2, 2021
“I think everyone knows the difference between attacking someone as an anonymous source and providing details on a policy announcement to reporters in an effort to provide information and answer media questions,” she wrote.
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