Ella Emhoff was ‘sheltered’ during Kamala Harris’ campaign, given pre-screened calls to avoid criticism

WASHINGTON, DC: Ella Emhoff shared that during Kamala Harris’ failed 2020 presidential campaign, she was carefully shielded from negative interactions while volunteering.

Speaking on the 'Girls Rewatch' podcast, the 25-year-old admitted that her campaign calls were pre-selected to prevent anyone from recognizing her and responding with hostility.

Ella Emhoff protected from negative feedback during Harris’ campaign

In the conversation, Emhoff disclosed, “They set me up for positive calls because they didn’t want someone to know they were talking to me and then say some absolutely heinous stuff.”

Despite the controlled environment, Emhoff found cold-calling an “intimidating” experience, noting that other volunteers often faced challenging questions, including inquiries about Harris’ political stance and leadership.

Public scrutiny over Ella Emhoff's political and social activism

Since her stepmother Kamala Harris became vice president, Ella Emhoff has faced significant public attention.

In 2023, she sparked controversy by publicly raising funds for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), an organization that lost US funding after allegations of ties to the October 7 terrorist attack in Israel.

The move drew backlash from critics who questioned her support for the group.

Ella Emhoff reflects on adjusting to a life of privilege and security

Ella Emhoff, an artist and designer, also lamented how her stepmother Harris' position has altered her lifestyle, expressing frustration over the lack of freedom to navigate New York City as she once did.

“I feel like I’ve been robbed of some ‘Broad City’ moments just because, for the past four years, I’ve lived such a sheltered life, and I haven’t been able to just meander,” she said, referencing the Comedy Central show about two young women enjoying life in the city.

Attempting to reclaim some normalcy, Emhoff has taken up biking again, though not without incident.

She revealed she was involved in a minor collision in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

“I’m like, ‘Wait, I think I really messed up my hand, like, I can’t feel my pinky, and it hurts to bend,’” she recalled about the crash.

Ella Emhoff's confrontation with anti-police activist

Ella Emhoff also addressed a separate July 2023 incident in which her Secret Service detail was confronted by activist Harry Heymann outside a restaurant in Brooklyn.

Heymann, an anti-police advocate, removed the license plate covers from two black SUVs parked outside the eatery where Emhoff and her boyfriend were dining.

The confrontation escalated, leading to Heymann’s arrest on charges of obstruction of governmental administration and criminal mischief, according to New York Post.

Reflecting on the incident, Emhoff dismissed it as a typical New York moment that only gained attention because of her security detail.

“It was just classic New York chaos that wouldn’t have mattered at all, and it would have just been a New York minute if it hadn’t been this guy getting angry at a Secret Service vehicle,” she remarked.