THIS IS "THE FIVE."
♪ ♪
VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS
BEING CALLED A BULLY WITH A POOR
WORK ETHIC, DYSFUNCTION GROWING
INSIDE THE VP OFFICE WALL HIGH
PROFILE STAFFERS ARE LOOKING TO
EXIT.
THERE ARE STAFF CONCERNS ABOUT
BEING BRANDED AS A PARENT PERSON
AFTER WORKING FOR HER IS LEAVING
MANY AIDES LOOKING FOR NEW JOBS.
THIS COMES AFTER A BLISTERING
REPORT BY THE WASHINGTON RIPOSTE
WHERE A FORMER STAFFER SHOWS HOW
BAD IT CAN BE, IT’S CLEAR YOU
ARE NOT WORKING WITH SOMEONE WHO
IS WILLING TO DO THE PRESS AND
THE WORK.
SO WITH KAMALA YOU HAVE TO PUT
UP WITH A CONSTANT AMOUNT OF
SOUL DESTROYING CRITICISM AND
ALSO HER OWN LACK OF CONFIDENCE.
YOU’RE CONSTANTLY PROPPING UP A
BULLY AND IT’S NOT REALLY CLEAR
WHY."
THESE KIND OF ACCUSATION SEEMED
TO GO AGAINST THE
PRESIDENT BIDEN AFTER TAKING
OFFICE, THIS IS WHAT HE SAID.
>> I’M NOT JOKING WHEN I SAY
THIS, IF YOU ARE EVER WORKING
WITH ME AND I HEAR YOU TREAT
ANOTHER COLLEAGUE WITH
DISRESPECT, TALK DOWN TO
SOMEONE, I PROMISE YOU I WILL
FIRE YOU ON THE SPOT.
ON THE SPOT.
NO IF’S, ANNE’S, OR BUT’S
EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY SHOULD BE
TREATED WITH DECENCY AND
DIGNITY.
>> Dana: DON’T WORRY THIS WEEK
AND A SINGLE STAFFER SAID I WORK
WITH VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS, ON
BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
AND DEPUTY OF OPERATIONS, I
ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY JOB.
JUST THOUGHT SOME OF YOU SHOULD
KNOW."
WITH A SMILEY FACE.
I THINK, AT SOME POINT SHE MIGHT
ASK HER JUNIOR STAFFERS TO STOP
TRYING TO HELP.
IT’S NOT HELPING.
>> Greg: THAT WAS THE
EQUIVALENT OF A TEACHER’S PET
REMINDING THE TEACHER THAT SHE
FORGOT TO ASK FOR THE HOMEWORK
THAT WAS DUE.
IT WAS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY IN
THE OFFICE IS LOOKING AT THAT
GUY ON GOING WHAT?
BUT ANYWAY, I AM ON TEAM KAMALA.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A BUNCH OF
WHINERS THAT ARE INTIMIDATED BY
A STRONG WOMAN OF COLOR.
I THINK THEY ARE PROBABLY
MISOGYNIST AND RACIST, BECAUSE
AFTER ALL THAT’S WHAT THEY WOULD
SAY IF YOU HAD THE SAME
CRITICISM.
THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR SOCIETY TO
HAVE WHEN WE FIND OUT THAT WE
HAVE AN AWFUL LEADER IN THE
SECOND-HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE
LAND WHO IS ALSO A PERSON OF
COLOR.
THAT IS A SIGN OF PROGRESS,
RIGHT?
SHE HAS REACHED A POINT IN
SOCIETY WHERE SHE IS NO BETTER
THAN OBNOXIOUS WHITE OLD GUYS.
THAT IS REALLY --
>> Dana: [LAUGHS]
>> Greg: THIS IS A TRUE
ACHIEVEMENT AND DIVERSITY.
AND WE CAN IGNORE IT.
SHE IS JUST AS AWFUL AS ALL THE
WHITE GUYS.
THIS IS LIKE THEN MOON LANDING
FOR IDENTITY POLITICS.
A WOMAN OF COLOR HAS FINALLY
GONE WHERE NO WOMAN OF COLOR HAS
EVER GONE BEFORE.
SHE CAN BE A COMPLETE OF THEIR
JERK JUST LIKE A KENNEDY CAN,
JUST LIKE ANYBODY CAN COME UP AT
THE OTHER LESSON IS YOU CAN’T JU
PERSON BY A SINGLE
VARIABLE, IN THIS CASE
IDENTITY, BECAUSE THEN YOU NEVER
FIND OUT WHO THE PERSON IS.
SO MANY MISTAKES ARE MADE BY
FOLLOWING THIS SINGLE VARIABLE
OF IDENTITY.
LIZ WARREN SCREWED UP HER LIFE,
YOU KNOW?
PRETENDING TO BE A
NATIVE AMERICAN BECAUSE SHE
THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A
VARIABLE.
THE ELEVATION OF JACOB LAKE,
THAT WAS BECAUSE OF A SINGLE VARIABLE.
IDENTITY, AND THE SINGLE
VARIABLE, IDENTITY.
ALL OF THESE MISTAKES ARE BASED
ON ONE VARIABLE IN WHICH ALL YOU
SEE IS IDENTITY.
KAMALA IS TEACHING YOU THIS DOES
NOT WORK IN THE EMPLOYMENT
WORLD.
YOU CANNOT RELY ON DIVERSITY
QUOTAS TO FIND OUT IF SOMEBODY
IS COMPETENT OR NOT.
>> Dana: INTERESTING WAY OF
LOOKING AT IT, THERE WAS A
QUESTION AT THE BRIEFING,
JEN PSAKI, ABOUT THE TREAT AND
THE LARGER ISSUE.
SPEAK WITH THE DIRECTOR OF
OPERATIONS, ABOUT HOW THERE WAS
A SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH THE SUMMER
FOLLOWING SOME NEGATIVE
HEADLINES ABOUT ONGOING AND THE
MAIN OFFICE, DID ANYONE ASK THE
DEPUTY DIRECTOR TO PUT OUT A
POSITIVE TWEET TODAY?
OR WAS THAT ALL HIM?
>> I’M NOT AWARE OF ANY ASKS TO
POUR A POSITIVE TWEET OR A
SPECIFIC TWEET, I WILL POINT YOU
TO THE VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE,
BUT I WORK WITH A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE AND THE VICE PRESIDENT’S
OFFICE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO
CONTINUING THEIR JOBS.
>> Dana: THIS IS A QUESTION I
DON’T WANT, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS
KIND OF A SICK BURN WITH THAT
ANONYMOUS STAFFER, FORMER
STAFFER SAYING SHE DOES NOT DO
HER READING.
>> Jesse: KAMALA’S OFFICE IS
LIKE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE
NEW YORK JETS WERE
VICE PRESIDENT, A COMEDY OF
ERRORS THAT EVERYONE WOULD
ENJOY.
IT’S A LITTLE UNFAIR FOR
"THE WASHINGTON POST" TO PUT OUT
THIS JUICY QUOTE, SOUL
DESTROYING CRITICISM, YOU CAN’T
SAY THAT AND NOT GIVE US A
DIRECT QUOTE.
I MEAN, THEY COVER DONALD TRUMP
FOR FOUR YEARS, WROTE BOOKS
ABOUT THE GUY AND THEN HAD THE
MOST VIVIDLY COLORFUL PROSE
ATTRIBUTED TO DONALD TRUMP, AND
YOU CAN’T SAY ONE THING THAT SHE
SAID WAS SOUL CROSSING CRITICISM
CRITICISM.
>> Greg: THAT’S SO TRUE.
>> Jesse: WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
SHE WAS A BULLY, WAS SHE GIVING
WEDGIES?
IT’S NOT FAIR TO THE READER, IT
COMES OFF AS CHEAP AND THEN IT
GOES INTO THE PREDICTABLE SUBTLE
WAY, SHE’S ONLY BEING ATTACKED
BECAUSE SHE IS A WOMAN OF COLOR,
BUT SHE IS BEING ATTACKED BY
DEMOCRATS -- DEMOCRATS WHO WANT
TO WORK FOR HER, MANY OF WHOM
ARE WOMEN, AND MANY OF WHOM ARE
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
SO SHE EITHER HIRED BIGOTS OR IT
IS WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE TO BE.
THIS IS WHAT IT SEEMS LIKE TO
BEAT, SHE HAS IMPOSTER SYNDROME.
SHE KNOW SHE’S NOT QUALIFIED TO
BE THE VICE PRESIDENT, SO SHE IS
TRYING TO MAKE HER WAY THROUGH.
AND AS YOU TRY TO FAKE YOUR WAY
THROUGH THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL
JOB IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE GOING
TO FALL FLAT A LOT.
SO WHEN SHE FALLS FLAT SHE TAKES
THAT OUT ON OUR STAFF.
AND STAFF DOES NOT LIKE THAT,
BECAUSE THEY EXPECTED MORE OF
THE FIRST FEMALE OF COLOR
VICE PRESIDENT, SO THEY ARE
TRYING TO PIVOT AS FAST AS
POSSIBLE SO THEY ARE NOT LABELED
KAMALA PEOPLE.
AND HERE WITH
"THE WASHINGTON POST," SHE IS
ANGRY, THE DYSFUNCTION IN THE
WHITE HOUSE IS JOE BIDEN, HE IS
OVERSEEING A CASCADE OF
POLICIES.
HE IS MENTALLY UNFIT, HIS ALMOST
PHYSICALLY UNFIT TO DO THE JOB,
CLEARLY.
AND THEY ARE GOING AFTER KAMALA,
BECAUSE IT’S EASY.
IT’S LIKE THE PERSONAL PARLOR
GAME THAT YOU GET TO DO FOR
CLICKS AND STUFF, IF THEY WANT
TO DO BRAVE JOURNALISM, PUT THE
SCRUTINY ON JOE BIDEN AT THE
SAME LEVEL YOU ARE GIVING IT TO
KAMALA, THAT’S REAL JOURNALISM,
THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT.
>> Dana: RICHARD, THEY ARE A
LOT OF KAMALA HARRIS SENATORS
AND CAMPAIGN STAFFERS THAT DID
NOT COME TO THE WHITE HOUSE,
MAYBE THEY DID NOT WANT TO OR
WERE NOT ASKED, BUT PROBABLY A
LOT OF PEOPLE FOR JOURNALISTS TO
CONTACT, ARE YOU UNHAPPY AND I
IMAGINE A LOT OF THEM SAY IT
WOULD NOT BE SO BAD IF I WAS
THERE.
>> Richard: I THINK THAT’S
PART OF IT, ANY TIME YOU COME TO
WASHINGTON WITHOUT A CLEAR ARC
OF THE NARRATIVE, WHAT IS THE
STORY, WHAT IS THE MISSION YOU
ARE ON?
THE MEDIA WILL CREATE A
NARRATIVE FOR YOU, THIS IS WHAT
IS HAPPENING TO KAMALA STORY
AFTER STORY, THEY ARE DOING WHAT
THEY DO BEST, THEY ARE CREATING
THE ARC OF THE NARRATIVE FROM
QUOTES FROM ALL PEOPLE
ANONYMOUS, WHICH IS THE PALETTE
ENTRY, WE SAW THIS WITH
DONALD TRUMP AND ARE SEEING IT
AGAIN.
AND AS A DEMOCRAT I HAVE SOME
HONEST QUESTIONS, ONE BEING HOW
WE TREATED HAITIAN MIGRANTS AT
THE SOUTHERN BORDER AFTER THE
STATE POLICY SAYING THEY COULD
LEAVE BECAUSE IT WAS UNSAFE, BUT
WE NEED TO SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT
IN HER OFFICE THAT SHE NEEDS TO
COME UP WITH A NARRATIVE FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE IN AN ARGUMENT
FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHY SHE
IS THERE MUCH HE IS WORKING ON
TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR SO SHE
CAN PUSH BACK AGAIN.
>> Dana: BUT KATIE, SHE DID
RUN FOR PRESIDENT, SO PRESUMABLY
SHE HAD AN IDEA OF WHAT THE
NARRATIVE WOULD BE.
>> Katie: THE MEDIA HELP DRIVE
HER NARRATIVE BY DOING NO
VETTING AND RUNNING NOTHING FOR
HER DURING THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION WHEN JOE BIDEN SAID SHE
WAS THE BEST WOMEN FOR THE JOB,
THEY BUILT HER UP AS THE FIRST
WOMAN OF COLOR TO BE THE
VICE PRESIDENT, THE FIRST WOMAN
TO BE THE VICE PRESIDENT, DID
NOTHING TO ASK THE STAFFERS WHAT
THEY THINK OF HER, WHAT ARE MAIN
ISSUES ARE, WHY IT’S SO
IMPORTANT TO HER TO BE LOCKING
PEOPLE UP IN CALIFORNIA AS A
PROSECUTOR, ALL OF A SUDDEN
CHANGE YOUR MIND WHEN IT CAME TO
HER OWN POLICIES AND THOSE OF
JOE BIDEN, WHY SHE CHANGED HER
OPINION ON JOE BIDEN BEING
RACIST FOR EXAMPLE, THEY DID NOT
BET HER AT ALL WHEN IT CAME TO
THOSE ISSUES, BUT I WILL SAY
WHAT THE STAFFERS ARE ACCUSING
HER OF REALLY SHOWS UP WHEN SHE
DOES THESE INTERVIEWS, STARTS
LAUGHING UNCONTROLLABLY, AND
SHOWS THAT SHE IS A LITTLE
INCONSIDERATE -- INSECURE ABOUT
THE ISSUES SHE IS TALKING ABOUT,
BUT THE MEDIA HAS INVOLVEMENT IN
NOT ASKING HER TOUGH QUESTIONS,
ON THE OTHER SIDE THEY HAVE TO
QUESTION WHETHER THE STAFFERS
ARE REALLY --
LIKE HOW HIGH-PROFILE ARE THERE,
A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO FEEL
VERY ENTITLED AND HAVE A HARD
TIME DEALING WITH HIGH
EXPECTATIONS AND TAKING IT VERY
PERSONALLY, SO MAYBE THIS IS
TRUE, MAYBE BOTH SIDES ARE RIGHT
IN SOME WAYS.
>> Dana: "THE NEW YORK TIMES"
WHEN THEY PRINTED THAT
ANONYMOUS --
IT WAS A VERY SENIOR
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL AND IT
REALLY WASN’T.
>> Richard: IF YOU HAVE
SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THE