Tension in Vice President Harris' office appears to center on top aide, border trip

The reported complaints from staffers in Vice President Kamala Harris' office appear to center on her recent trip to the southwest U.S. border and chief of staff Tina Flournoy, according to a recent news report.

Staffers are alleging Flournoy has mishandled important issues and interactions with staffers and say the unexpected border trip last week left some scrambling on logistics and messaging, according to report Wednesday by Politico.

Flournoy is a veteran of Democratic politics with a law degree from Georgetown University.

Politico said the reported dissension in the vice president's office is base on interviews with 22 current and former vice presidential aides, administration officials and associates of Harris and President Biden, all of them unnamed.

One of those interviewed suggested Harris also is responsible, telling Politico, "People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment.” 

Cedric Richmond, a senior Biden adviser raised concerns with Axios about the interviews being anonymous. 

"Not one named person," he said. "That’s what bothers me most. We’re in a day where the stakes are high. You’d just hope if there’s a legitimate criticism they’d put their name next to it."