'Malpractice': Experts say Harris' tactic with FTC chair 'zaps the life' out of base

Vice President Kamala Harris' decision to distance herself from the FTC's populist chair could cost her with progressives, an economics professor warned Thursday.

Politico noted that Harris has kept Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan at "arm's length" as Khan pushes an antitrust agenda, much to the chagrin of major Silicon Valley donors.

Among her initiatives: Khan has taken an aggressive approach to antitrust enforcement, targeting tech giants such as Amazon, Meta and Microsoft.

While some Democrats in close races have cozied up to Khan to churn out the base, Harris has, so far, avoided appearing publicly with Khan.

That, warned economist Hal Singer of the University of Utah, is a mistake.

“When she won’t defend Biden’s record on antitrust, or defend Khan against the attacks by the billionaire donors — guys like Reid Hoffman, who’ve basically been calling for Khan’s head — it kind of zaps the life out of the progressive base,” Singer told Politico.

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“She’s basically performing malpractice,” he added.

Jeff Hauser, executive director of the progressive watchdog Revolving Door Project, told the publication it's an "obvious missed opportunity to make some noise in a populist way amidst a populist moment."

“I think she is ceding that populist energy to [Donald] Trump, and it’s an enormous miscalculation," he warned.

This week, Republicans in Congress threatened a new investigation into the progressive firebrand, this time for what they allege might be illegal campaigning from public office.

Billionaire Barry Diller, chairman of the travel site Expedia and the conglomerate IAC, has said he would donate the maximum to Harris' campaign and lobby her to replace Khan. He called her a "dope" who opposed "almost anything" business leaders wanted to do, but later walked that back, even as he stood by the sentiment.

“I said ‘She’s a dope.' She isn't," Diller previously told CNN. "She’s smart but I believe overreaches in disrupting sensible business combinations."