The White House on Wednesday defended Vice President Kamala Harris’ travel, as she faces scrutiny for not having visited the overwhelmed southern border, amid her latest assignment from President Biden to handle the “root causes” of the surge in migration in recent months.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday during the press briefing was asked about the vice president’s recent travel to Chicago, as opposed to the southern border. While in the Windy City, Harris visited a local bakery.
According to the pool note, Harris said her favorite is German chocolate and gets it for her birthday each year, and her staff had preordered a slice for her.
“I would say the vice president was visiting Chicago to talk about COVID and the importance of communities getting the vaccine when it is available and accessible to them,” Psaki explained. “While she was there, like many Americans, she got a snack. I think she’s allowed to do that.”
Harris, according to officials from the vice president’s office last week, will lead “diplomatic efforts to engage Mexico and the Northern Triangle to address the root causes of migration and to oversee the flow and use of US aid.”
