During an all-staff call earlier this week, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign leaders addressed concerns about the future and urged staff members to avoid speaking with the media following her election loss to Donald Trump, two insiders shared with ABC News. Campaign Chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and Deputy Campaign Manager Quentin Fulks emphasized the need for staffers to remain engaged, with Fulks specifically urging them to “stay in this fight.”
One source described the call as “gaslighty,” similar to the feeling after President Joe Biden exited the race in July. Back then, staff members had only received a brief, one-minute warning before Biden announced his departure publicly. ABC News reached out to the Harris campaign for additional comment.
The recording of the initial Wednesday call, made public on Thursday, followed Harris’ concession speech at Howard University. On the call, O’Malley Dillon expressed pride in the campaign’s efforts, highlighting that their field teams had knocked on over 50 million doors leading up to Election Day, efforts which, she noted, contributed to Senate races in those key states. Toward the end of her remarks, O’Malley Dillon reportedly teared up.
In her remarks, Harris acknowledged the challenging moment, admitting, “this moment sucks,” according to a source. However, she also took a hopeful stance, noting, “sometimes the fight takes a while … The important thing is don’t ever give up.” She echoed a similar sentiment in her concession speech, where she encouraged supporters to continue pursuing the cause despite setbacks.
Campaign leaders outlined general next steps for staff, including networking opportunities to aid them in their job searches. Both sources mentioned they were still processing the shock of the loss, especially considering the significant margin in battleground states.
The insiders also pointed to a moment from last month on The View that they felt had a major impact. When asked what she would have done differently than Biden in the past four years, Harris initially responded with, “there is not a thing that comes to mind,” later adding her intention to include a Republican in her Cabinet. This moment, according to sources, was widely seen within the campaign as a missed opportunity to distinguish herself from Biden.
