By Savannah Kutcher
Stacey Abrams, the voting rights activist and two-time Democratic nominee for governor in Georgia, denounced some criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris, saying in an interview Sunday that although politicians should expect questions, Harris has received a racist and sexist share of the scrutiny.
“We will always question the person behind the person,” Abrams told MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, emphasizing that not all criticism of Harris is fueled by discrimination. “But we cannot ignore that misogyny and racism remain very prevalent in our politics.”
Harris has faced approval ratings below 50% since taking office alongside President Joe Biden nearly three years ago. In a CBS News poll this year, Harris was viewed favorably by just 35% of swing voters.
Republican criticism of Harris has intensified during her tenure as vice president as GOP leaders have painted her as incompetent.
But Biden’s administration has publicly brushed off the criticism as she has taken on high-profile issues, such as abortion rights. Months into their term, the White House posted a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “For anyone who needs to hear it. (Harris) is not only a vital partner to (Biden) but a bold leader who has taken on key, important challenges facing the country.”
Though other vice presidents have faced similar, if not worse, approval ratings, days after Biden announced his reelection campaign earlier this year, a group of Democratic strategists gathered to address Harris’ perceived image problem.
Abrams in the interview on Sunday argued that if Harris were a white man, like every vice president before her, she would not be receiving such backlash.
“We are not always great with new,” Abrams said. “But more importantly, I know if you filter through the critiques, if you think about how she is castigated, it is inextricably linked to race and gender. I applaud the poise with which she has responded.”