Psaki calls VP staff exodus 'natural,' says top aides may want 'to sleep more' - New York Post

White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed Thursday that a staff exodus from Vice President Kamala Harris’ press office was “natural” and “a very positive thing” — and at one point said that top executive branch staffers may also leave because they just want “to sleep more.”.

The Harris aides leaving include chief spokeswoman Symone Sanders, director of press operations Peter Velz and deputy director of public engagement Vince Evans.

When pressed on whether main White House aides also would begin jumping ship, Psaki gave an answer intended to forestall any future blow to President Biden.

Harris had high turnover among her Senate and 2020 campaign staffs and the main White House press office hasn’t had a parallel spate of high-profile exits — with the exception of spokesman TJ Ducklo, who resigned in February after reports emerged about his vulgar and sexist treatment of a journalist.

The joint appearance by Harris and Buttigieg appeared to be an effort to douse speculation of a rivalry ahead of a possible 2024 clash in the Democratic presidential primary amid conjecture that Biden won’t seek a second term.

Although Biden says he intends to seek a second term in 2024, he’s already the oldest-ever president at age 79 and Democrats are bracing for a possible primary between Harris, 57, and Buttigieg, 39

An ally of the VP recently told CNN that many Harris supporters are upset that the West Wing gave less support to Harris, who is of African and Indian ancestry, than to Buttigieg, whose ancestry is European, when they were criticized in the press

The former Harris aide told CNN, “It’s hard to miss the specific energy that the White House brings to defend a white man, knowing that Kamala Harris has spent almost a year taking a lot of the hits that the West Wing didn’t want to take themselves.”