A former top adviser for President Joe Biden reportedly called Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra a “bitch-ass” over his handling of migrant shelters, Axios reported Monday.
Former Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice, who stepped down from her post in April, privately attacked Becerra over what she believed was his reluctance to find more space in child migrant shelters, according to Axios. She also reportedly referred to Becerra as an “idiot.”
🚨🚨Exclusive: Biden adviser Susan Rice referred to HHS Sec. Becerra as a “bitch-ass” and privately called him an “idiot,” according to multiple sources.
•During one meeting when Biden was tearing into Becerra, Rice passed DHS Sec. Mayorkas a note that read: “Don’t save him,”…— Jim VandeHei (@JimVandeHei) February 12, 2024
HHS spokesperson Jeff Nesbit reportedly said the Biden administration has taken great strides to increase the space in child migrant shelters.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 29: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra speaks during a reproductive rights event with Vice President Kamala Harris at the Mexican Heritage Plaza on January 29, 2024 in San Jose, California. Harris is traveling the country on a tour dubbed Fight for Reproductive Freedoms. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
“The Trump administration severely restricted [the Office of Refugee Resettlement] capacity to serve children referred to our care,” Nesbit said, according to Axios. “We worked quickly, but under any circumstances, you can’t stand up licensed child-care beds overnight, much less in the middle of a pandemic.” (RELATED: ‘What Is The Rabbit Hole?’: KJP Flees Doocy’s Question About Biden’s Mental Health)
CNN Host Presses Chicago Mayor Over Migrant Shelters
Rice also reportedly passed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a note that read “Don’t save him” in reference to Becerra while President Joe Biden tore into him during a meeting, according to Axios. She has also reportedly clashed with Vice President Kamala Harris and DHS adviser Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.
Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice speaks at the United We Stand Summit in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2022. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Rice reportedly entered competition with Harris for Biden’s running mate position in the summer of 2020, and accused Harris’ team of being partly responsible for negative coverage of her, the outlet reported. The former adviser believed she was more informed on the U.S.-Mexico border, and Harris has since come under great scrutiny for her handling of the border after being appointed “border czar.”