European official slams Kamala Harris as “invisible” in hot mic moment

A leading European official was caught on a hot mic earlier this year criticizing Kamala Harris as “invisible” and questioning her electability.

Isabel Schnabel, a member of the European Central Bank's executive board, made the remarks during a private conversation in February, just before an event, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

In her unguarded comments, Schnabel expressed frustration over the lack of effort to develop an alternative candidate to Harris, suggesting that she was unlikely to win an election. Schnabel also remarked on Harris’ lack of visibility, saying, “I don’t even know her because she has been so invisible.”

The ECB has since labelled Schnabel’s remarks as “misleading,” emphasizing that the official typically refrains from commenting on political matters publicly. Despite this, other European officials have privately supported Schnabel’s view, citing difficulties in building a connection with Harris.

One senior EU official noted that the European Union could have made more efforts to engage with Harris, given President Biden’s age. However, they also acknowledged that Harris did not make it easy to establish these connections, making meetings with her challenging.

Harris’ international public appearances have also faced criticism. Her speech at a 2023 UK summit on artificial intelligence was described as “banal” and not aligned with the conference’s theme, prompting the British government to express its concerns privately to White House officials.

At the Munich Security Conference in February, European officials observed that while Harris appeared “engaged” and “charismatic” in private meetings, she seemed “highly-scripted” in public settings.

With President Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the 2024 race and his endorsement of Harris as his successor, European officials are now working to understand her stance and approach. A UK official mentioned that there will be significant efforts to map out what a Kamala Harris presidency might entail, focusing on how to effectively engage with her and her team.