Kamala Harris national security adviser resigns

Vice President Kamala Harris’ national security adviser is the latest high-profile staffer to leave the vice president’s office, according to a report.

Nancy McEldowney, who has worked for Harris since taking office, will be replaced by her deputy Philip Gordon, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday.

McEldowney reportedly said in the memo that she was stepping down to “focus on some pressing personal matters.”

“This was a difficult decision because I am so committed to the work we do and the vital national interest we serve,” she wrote. “But after more than a year, this is the right decision for my family.”

It wasn’t immediately clear when McEldowney’s resignation would take effect, though she said she wouldn’t “rush out the door.” A senior administration official told Reuters her final date has not yet been confirmed.

McEldowney, a former ambassador to Bulgaria and former director of the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, had advised both Harris and President Biden on a range of global issues – including the withdrawal from Afghanistan, negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

She had also accompanied Harris on a series of official visits to Central America, Asia and Europe that have included a series of high-profile gaffes and awkward moments.

In a statement, Harris said McEldowney gave her “invaluable advice” and thanked her for “her exceptional talent, deep expertise and leadership in tackling complex challenges.”

McEldowney is the tenth key official to leave the Harris office since this past June, along with Rajun Kaur, Director of Digital Strategy, Karly Satkowiak, Assistant Director of Advance, Gabrielle DeFranceschi, Assistant Director of Advance, Ashley Etienne, Director of Communications, Symone Sanders, Chief Spokesperson for Peter Velz, Associate Director, Public Engagement, Vince Evans, and Kate Childs Graham, Director, Speechwriting.

While it’s not uncommon for White House staffers to switch roles after an administration’s first year, Harris’s departures have come under additional scrutiny following multiple reports of bullying and her treatment of staffers.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defended the departures late last year as “natural.”

Gordon, McEldowney’s successor, served on the Clinton and Obama administrations’ National Security Councils and also served as Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs during Obama’s first term.

With mail wires