Vice President Kamala Harris has reportedly spent significant amounts of time in Los Angeles throughout her tenure as VP, leading to frustration from some neighbors and Democratic supporters who believe she should be focusing more on political campaigns. According to the Wall Street Journal, Harris spent at least 59 days in Los Angeles during 2023 so far, with a previous 46 days spent there in 2022. Her presence in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood requires the Secret Service to close off the street where she resides, causing irritation among predominantly liberal neighbors.
The coast-to-coast travel has also raised questions about potential distractions from her political work, especially as many of her LA visits do not include public events. In June 2022, following the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, a Brentwood neighbor put up a sign urging Harris to get back to Washington and focus on her work.
Additionally, nearly a third of Harris’ LA stays during her first two years in office were closed off from the press, according to a Los Angeles Times review. The White House has had to pay for a 6,500-square-foot mansion to house some government employees when Harris is in town.
While President Biden has spent more time in his Delaware residences than any other 21st-century president at this point of their term, he still takes fewer stay-cations in the state compared to Harris’ Los Angeles visits. Critics have used Harris’ background as a prosecutor in the Bay Area and her residence in Los Angeles to label her as a “radical California liberal.
In response, Harris has tried to appeal to Americans outside of her highly liberal neighborhood, emphasizing her experience during her speech accepting the Democratic Party’s nomination and promising to put country above party and self.
