As President Biden’s first year of office draws to a close, morale among White House staffers has been reported below. Polls also show that his popularity is dropping with the majority of Americans.
Politico reports that White House staffers are dissatisfied with their jobs. They anonymously shared the information to Politico on Wednesday in hopes that other senior staffers would notice the lack of cohesion and happiness at work. Staff says they struggle with virtual events. Some staff members have complained that people who are not part of Biden’s inner circle or network are often overlooked.
Staff claim they were excluded from certain events, while staffers from the capital are invited to take their place due to a lottery system that determines who attends certain gatherings. One staffer stated that it was also hypocritical and ironic for a President whose brand is built around empathy and family to have policies regarding staff that are against that brand. It’s not a good appearance and it’s emblematic of how this place runs.
Many staff members stated that they are updating their resumes and will begin looking for new jobs next spring, once the president celebrates his one-year anniversary. Staffers from Vice President Kamala Harris’s office, including Symone Sanders, senior adviser, and Ashley Etienne, have already begun to leave.
As Americans struggle with record inflation, rising gas prices, supply chain problems, the omicron version of the coronavirus, and increasing international tensions with Russia, China, and Russia, Biden and Harris are still plagued by low polling numbers.
In an NPR/Marist survey, 43% of Americans approved and 51% disapproved of the president. A separate Monmouth University poll indicated that only 40% approve and 50% disapprove. Biden’s approval rating may be even lower in some polls.
Harris’s approval rating is even lower according to polling that Harris received last month, which showed her at 28%.