US: Psaki blames racism and sexism for criticism directed at VP Kamala Harris

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday suggested that United States Vice President Kamala Harris had been receiving more criticism as “she was the first woman and woman of colour to hold the office”. Jen Psaki made the remark regarding the backlash targeting the US Vice President Kamala Harris in an interview with Politico. The response of the White House press secretary came after media reports raised questions over Vice President's standing in the Biden administration.

Speaking to Politico, Jen Psaki stated that some of the people in the right-wing criticised Harris as she was the “first woman and woman of colour”. Furthermore, Psaki mentioned that the Vice President wanted herself to be seen as the “talented, experienced, substantive policy person” who she called a partner to the president. She further added that the attacks had been more against the Vice President due to her identity. 

US VP a 'valuable member of our team'

Earlier on 15 November, the White House made an attempt to defend US Vice President Kamala Harris from the criticism of the media after a media report cast doubt on her standing in President Joe Biden’s administration. The White House said that Harris is a crucial part of the team and signalled that she will play a role in the promotion of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, reported The Hill. The latest statement by the White House came after a CNN report raised questions over her standing and stated that there were rifts within the Biden-Harris operation. 

As per The Hill report, the White House officials dismissed talks of a rift between US President Joe Biden and his Vice President as “gossip”. Addressing a press briefing on 15 November, Jen Psaki called Harris "a key partner, a bold leader."  Psaki further said that "she is somebody who has taken on incredibly important assignments, whether it is addressing the root causes of migration at the Northern Triangle or taking on a core cause of democracy in voting rights" and called her "a valuable member of the team". White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki took to Twitter and called the vice president a "vital" partner to US President Joe Biden.