A report has surfaced suggesting simmering tensions and discord within President Joe Biden’s administration over its handling of border issues. The report by Axios points to a fallout involving high-level advisors and officials, with Susan Rice, the former Domestic Policy Adviser, seemingly at the center of conflicts.
Sources close to the administration have brought to light Rice’s strenuous relationship with multiple colleagues, including Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Homeland Security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall, and Vice President Kamala Harris. The report details acrimonious exchanges, particularly targeting Becerra, who faced vehement and harsh criticism from Rice. Becerra is painted as a contentious figure, at one point being subjected to derogatory remarks from Rice, who is alleged to have labeled him as incompetent and indecisive, bespeaking deeper issues over immigration policies.
The report goes on to describe a heated encounter where Rice passed a dismissive note regarding Becerra to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a meeting with President Biden. Additionally, it speculates on the fraught dynamics between Rice and Vice President Harris, suggesting that Rice harbors resentment over being passed over for the vice presidency – an outcome the report implies was influenced by Harris’s camp.
At the heart of the dispute is the administration’s response to the ongoing situation regarding child migrant centers. Images of overcrowded detention facilities have sparked a public relations concern, casting a harsh light on the perceived inability to effectively manage border control and immigration challenges.
The Biden White House, however, has contested the veracity of the claims made in the Axios report. This alleged infighting adds to the narrative of a broader pattern of dysfunction that seems to beset the current administration’s approach to border management and immigration reform. Further investigations and statements from White House officials are anticipated as the story continues to unfold.
