Why Kamala Harris Is Facing Sexist Reports About Her Leadership Style

Vice President Kamala Harris has been in a leadership role for much of her career as a prosecutor, attorney general of California, a U.S. Senator, and now as Vice President of the United States. She’s seen the sexism and racism in her political career play out as pundits criticize her competency as if she isn’t qualified for the role, or they pick at the minutiae, like her hearty laugh. 

Now, The Washington Post is entering the chat with claims that her “perceived weaknesses as a candidate and elected official” is “her demanding management style.” Donald Trump’s leadership style — notably brash, impatient, and sometimes cruel — doesn’t seem to have the same interest from certain press members, so why is Kamala Harris being picked on? It feels eerily similar to the experience Meghan Markle had during her time at the palace.

Who could forget the 2018 headlines about her “demanding” 5 a.m. emails to the royal staff? The Duchess of Sussex was an early riser with a work ethic, but there’s never been any proof that she expected her employees to be up working at that hour. She was getting a head start on the day, but that was not how the royal family worked. “Meghan can be difficult. She has very high standards and is used to working in a Hollywood environment,” a source told The Mirror. “However, there’s a different degree of respect in the royal household and Kate has always been very careful about how she has acted around staff.”

That was over five years ago, but royal fans can see how the seeds were planted for the Kate Middleton feud in the campaign to make Meghan look bad. It seems like Kamala Harris is getting the same treatment, but former First Lady Michelle Obama has already warned the public not to fall for the false narrative. She noted at the Democratic National Convention in August that people “are going to do everything they can to distort” Kamala Harris’ career achievements. 

The Kamala Harris campaign is doing its best to avoid giving Donald Trump and various media outlets the attention they seek with their criticisms. She prefers to keep focused on winning the election in November, which is bound to be a close race. She knows she could be making history as the first woman president in United States history, but she’s downplaying that aspect during the campaign. As Axios pointed out, gender is “deeply infused in this race,” but Kamala Harris isn’t interested in making that a campaign hot topic — other people are.

Before you go, click here to see Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff’s big blended family.