MSNBC host Joy Reid says white men are responsible for VP Kamala Harris’ poor approval ratings

A recent interview by Joy Reid with the Root claimed that Harris’ negative reputation results from white men’s control over the media narrative.

“Most of the media is still white and male. And their take on Kamala Harris becomes the take,” MSNBC host Reid said. “It becomes conventional wisdom.” 

Reid said Harris is a “regular sister” who isn’t given many opportunities to show her personality. “She’s just a regular sister in the same way people would always say that Michelle Obama is like if your cousin became first lady. Kamala Harris is like if your cousin became VP of the United States,” Reid told the Root. “I think she doesn’t get to show that personality often enough, and so people haven’t had a chance to get to know her.”

“The job she’s had is dead serious, and this time is so serious,” Reid said. “Think about her portfolio: voting rights, immigration and the border, and police reform. The things on her plate are the toughest things that the Biden administration has to deal with outside of inflation and the war in Ukraine.”

As of June 14, only 41% of registered voters approved of Harris’ performance, compared to 52% of registered voters who disapproved, according to the Los Angeles Times.

In similar fashion to Reid, Harris’ supporters cite racism and sexism as reasons for her lack of approval. Meanwhile, more than a dozen staffers have departed Harris’ office during her tenure as vice president. Some have described her office as “not a healthy environment.”

“People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and it’s an abusive environment,” one source told Politico. “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***.”

During the DNC’s Women’s Leadership Forum this week, the Democratic National Committee slashed the price for a photo fundraiser with the vice president. Fox News reported that due to low enthusiasm for Harris, the DNC cut the price from $15,000 to $5,000 per photo.