This has already disappeared down the memory hole, but Kamala Harris is a terror of a boss.
As California attorney general, "Harris instructed her entire staff to stand every morning as she entered the office and say, ‘Good Morning General.’" Terry McAteer's son interned for AG Harris, and the picture he painted of the now-presidential candidate in a 2019 op-ed was disturbing.
“Harris vocally throws around ‘F-bombs’ and other profanity constantly in her berating of staff and others,” McAteer wrote.
“[McAteer's son] Gregory was also given instructions to never address Harris nor look her in the eye as that privilege was only allowed to senior staff members.”
A Washington Post article from December 2021 points out that she has always had incredibly high staff turnover and the reason for that is consistent: she's a tyrant.
“It’s clear that you’re not working with somebody who is willing to do the prep and the work,” a former staffer told the Post.
“With Kamala you have to put up with a constant amount of soul-destroying criticism and also her own lack of confidence. So you’re constantly sort of propping up a bully and it’s not really clear why.”
Critics scattered over two decades point to an inconsistent and at times degrading principal who burns through seasoned staff members who have succeeded in other demanding, high-profile positions. People used to putting aside missteps, sacrificing sleep and enduring the occasional tirade from an irate boss say doing so under Harris can be particularly difficult, as she has struggled to make progress on her vice-presidential portfolio or measure up to the potential that has many pegging her as the future of the Democratic Party.
“Who are the next talented people you’re going to bring in and burn through and then have (them) pretend they’re retiring for positive reasons?” the staffer told The Post.
According to the watchdog site OpenTheBooks, Harris has experienced a 91.5% staff turnover rate since she took office. Only four of the original 47 staffers are still working for her.
By contrast, Trump had a staff turnover rate of 72% through the same period. That's more in line with other presidents.
“People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment,” said another person with direct knowledge of how Harris’ office is run. “It’s not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It’s not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s**t.”
Harris does have her defenders. Naturally, the reason for all the negative press is obvious.
Her defenders say the criticism against her is often steeped in the same racism and sexism that have followed a woman who has been a first in every job she’s done over the past two decades. Her selection as President Biden’s vice president, they say, makes her a bigger target because many see her as the heir apparent to the oldest president in the nation’s history. They also say Harris faces the brunt of a double standard for women who are ambitious, powerful or simply unafraid to appear strong in public.
Playing the race card has lost most of its power to shame or do damage to anyone. The gambit was so overused during the Obama administration that it's more likely to elicit a yawn rather than outrage.
There's no double standard at work when she demands that staffers stand and say good morning. All that's missing is the raised-arm salute and a "Heil Kamala."
Do you think reporters will ask any questions about a managerial style that has resulted in 91.5% turnover at her first press conference?
Whenever that might be.
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