Kamala Harris holds a party for her team at the Naval Observatory following claims her staffers are 'treated like s***'

Vice President Kamala Harris hosted her team to her Naval Observatory home for a post-Fourth of July barbecue Thursday night following allegations her staff is 'treated like s***' 

Politico reported in late June that Harris' team is experiencing low morale, with one source going as far as to call it an 'abusive environment.' 

'It's not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. It's not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s***,' the individual said. 

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff hosted a post-Fourth of July barbecue themed party Thursday night at their Naval Observatory residence following claims staffers were made to 'feel like s***' 

Spokesperson Symone Sanders gushed about the party and shared photos, writing in one tweet: 'Let me tell you about these burgers at the VP's residence!!' 

Vice President Kamala Harris photobombs a picture of aides Peter Velz and Opal Vadhan

First gentleman Doug Emhoff joins a photo with the vice president's communications team 

First gentleman Doug Emhoff is captured looking at something on Twitter during the Thursday night fete 

Vice President Kamala Harris talks to aides at the Thursday night party at her Naval Observatory home 

In the reporting, blame was distributed between Harris herself. 'It all starts at the top,' said an unnamed administration official. While others pointed a finger at Harris' Chief of Staff Tina Flournoy. 

But on Thursday it was all smiles as Harris and first gentleman Doug Emhoff hosted dozens of staff at an indoors event at their home, as it was raining in Washington, D.C. 

The tables were decorated in the standard red checkered tablecloths, while burgers and other standard barbecue fare was served. 

'Let me tell you about these burgers at the VP's residence!!' tweeted Symone Sanders, Harris' senior advisor and chief spokesperson. 'The food was good and the people were amazing,' she added. 

Sanders also vehemently defended the VP and Flournoy against the claims made anonymously in the Politico story. 

Sanders had told Politico that Flournoy has an 'open door policy' and that 'black women like me would not have the opportunity to work in politics without Tina.' 

'People are cowards to do this this way,' Sanders said of those who provided blind quotes for the story. 

Symone Sanders (center, in blue) vehemently defended Vice President Kamala Harris and her chief of staff Tina Flournoy against the claims made anonymously in the Politico story

'We are not making rainbows and bunnies all day. What I hear is that people have hard jobs and I'm like "welcome to the club,"' she continued. 'We have created a culture where people, if there is anything anyone would like to raise, there are avenues for them to do so. Whoever has something they would like to raise, they should raise it directly.' 

Flournoy also attended the party, posing in the group picture.   

Prior to the staff party, Harris previously used her residence for a women of the Senate dinner in mid-June, attracting several Republican guests.  

When now President Joe Biden lived at the vice president's Naval Observatory home, he was known for hosting events too. 

For several years he and first lady Jill Biden hosted a summer beach party with prominent journalists  

Vice President Kamala Harris hosted 21 of the 24 female U.S. senators to dinner at her Naval Observatory home in mid-June