Nevertheless, Democrats are worried. Some are privately discussing what veteran Democratic strategist Paul Maslin called an “extremely worrisome” problem for the party as it contemplates Trump’s potential return. The party’s loss this month in the Virginia governor’s race — a blue-leaning state that is normally seen as a bellwether — has further heightened anxiety ahead of next year’s midterm election, where the party in the White House almost always loses congressional seats.

“It’s open panic,” said another Democratic operative who would not use his name for fear of alienating the administration, adding that some party activists worry Harris doesn’t have the political skills to navigate such difficult times…

Roshni Nedungadi, a partner at HIT Strategies, a Democratic polling firm that specializes in research on women, young voters and people of color, said Harris’ approval ratings have decreased among core constituencies, including voters younger than 30 and Black voters, with significant numbers unsure of how they view her.

“Something we hear from them every week is they just don’t know what she’s doing,” Nedungadi said. “For the first few months, they were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

But more recently, he said, “why hasn’t she been more front and center?”