No one ever accused Kamala or her team of being that bright. Now they can’t stop reminding us of that fact.
Because a Kamala Harris confidante made the most embarrassing claim you’ll ever hear.
Ashley Etienne, a former aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, attempting to cast the release of audio from President Joe Biden’s interview with former Special Counsel Robert Hur as a political advantage for Democrats. The audio, which emerged on Friday, reinforced perceptions of Biden as an aging, forgetful leader, yet Etienne argued it could benefit Biden and the party.
Her comments, however, highlight the disarray within the Democratic Party under Harris’s influence, raising questions about her leadership and strategic missteps. Below, we analyze Etienne’s claims, the audio’s implications, and the challenges facing Democrats.
A Dubious Attempt to Spin the Narrative
Etienne suggested the audio’s release was a calculated move by President Donald Trump to divert attention from his own administration’s struggles. “The real question is: Why release this tape now?” she asked, asserting, “It’s clear to me that President Trump released the tape because he’s trying to distract from his disastrous – unprecedented – disastrous first 100 days.”
This claim, however, feels like a deflection from the Democratic Party’s own vulnerabilities, particularly Harris’s role in shielding Biden’s declining capacity from public scrutiny.
The audio, which aligns with Hur’s depiction of Biden as “an elderly man who was at best, forgetful,” has reignited debates about the Biden-Harris administration’s transparency. Harris, as Vice President, bore responsibility for upholding the administration’s credibility, yet her team’s failure to address Biden’s limitations candidly has left Democrats exposed.
Etienne’s attempt to frame the release as a Republican distraction only highlights Harris’s inability to confront the party’s weaknesses head-on, casting doubt on her leadership as the party navigates a turbulent political landscape.
Minimizing Damage or Ignoring Reality?
Etienne argued that the audio’s release was “good for Joe Biden” and “good for the Democratic Party” because it would fade from public attention before the midterms.
“Imagine a situation where you’re so desperate, so under water on every issue that you play your best card in the first six months of an administration,” she said.
“So the way I see this is: This is good for Joe Biden. It’s good for the Democratic Party, because we can dispense with this now and not closer to the midterm election.”
This optimistic framing glosses over the deeper damage inflicted by the audio, which has cemented perceptions of Biden’s frailty and Harris’s complicity in concealing it.
The media consensus, as Etienne inadvertently acknowledged, is that Biden’s diminished state was evident long before Democrats admitted it.
Harris’s failure to prepare the party for this reckoning—or to pivot toward a stronger, unified message—reveals her lack of foresight and strategic acumen. Rather than a fleeting news cycle issue, this episode risks lingering as a symbol of Democratic dysfunction under her watch.
A Party Without Direction
When anchor Kristen Welker challenged Etienne, noting that the audio “does raise new questions about [Biden’s] decision not to get out sooner,” Etienne pivoted to a broader critique of the party’s disorganization.
“I think the problem with the Democratic Party right now is that we’ve not produced an autopsy, we’ve not produced an assessment of what actually happened in the election,” she said. “If we were to, we can reconcile, coalesce, speak with one voice, and move past it.”
This admission lays bare Harris’s shortcomings as a leader. The absence of a post-election “autopsy” reflects her inability to galvanize Democrats around a clear strategy or vision. While Trump leverages his platform to dominate the narrative, Harris’s tenure has been marked by indecision and missed opportunities, leaving the party fractured and ill-prepared for future battles.
Etienne’s comments, meant to defend Biden, instead highlight a Democratic Party adrift, weighed down by Harris’s ineffective leadership and reluctance to confront hard truths.
