Autopsy of Democrats in 2024 US election blames Harris and 'identity politics' for lost
Kamala Harris “wrote rural America” during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attack Donald Trump with enough “vicious fire”, according to a long-awaited post-election post-mortem examination released on Thursday by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) that did little to ease the concerns of Democrats about the direction of their party.
The committee's chairman, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing internal pressure from Democratic operatives fed up with his leadership. Martin had initially promised to release the autopsy months ago, but kept it under wraps because he was worried it would hurt Democrats' push to regain control of Congress in the midterms.
“I didn't want to create a distraction,” Martin wrote on Substack. “The irony is that by doing so, I ended up creating an even bigger distraction. And for that, I sincerely apologize.”
He said the report was withheld because it was “not ready for prime time” and the DNC had included annotations and statements that it was incomplete and unsubstantiated.
The report was met with confusion, anger
The release of the report did little to anger Martin, and Democratic insiders were furious as they spent the day talking about the two-year-old election instead of focusing on Trump's unpopular war with Iran, rising prices or the White House's presidential retreat.
The Democratic strategist, former US ambassador to Canada and former senior speechwriter for Barack Obama examines why Kamala Harris' early lead in the polls gave way to Donald Trump's strong second term.
Indeed, the initial reaction to the report was a mixture of bewilderment and anger at Martin's handling of the situation.
“The killings, the deportations and the cover-ups are all indicators of how Ken Martin can't do the job,” said Amanda Litman, who heads the Democratic Alliance's Run For Something.
“He will not be able to rebuild the trust necessary to run the Democratic Alliance in 2027-2028.”
Although the autopsy criticizes the Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it leaves aside some of the most controversial aspects of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former president Joe Biden's decision to seek re-election, Harris' immediate appointment after he left office or the party's bitter split over the war in Gaza.
“I'm not proud of this product; it doesn't meet my standards, and it won't meet yours,” Martin said. “I'm not endorsing what's in this report or what's left of it. I couldn't put the DNC's stamp of approval on it. But transparency is very important.”
During an interview with staff Thursday, Martin announced that the report's first author, consultant Paul Rivera, was no longer working with the DNC, according to a person on the phone who was not authorized to speak publicly about the private conversation.
A spokesman for Harris did not respond to a request for comment.
'Not wanting to listen to all the voters'
The post-election report, first released by CNN, calls for “a renewed focus on Central and South American voters, who believe they are excluded from the Democratic vision of America that is stronger and more powerful for everyone.”
“Millions of Americans suffer from poor access to health care, productivity and job losses, and dysfunctional infrastructure, yet they continue to be encouraged to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in America's Democratic Party,” the report said.
The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for state Democratic Alliance groups, shifts in voter registration and a “continued inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
Thursday's release comes as Martin faces a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly worried about the health of their political machine less than a year after taking office. Other Democratic parties have held informal talks about hiring a new chairman, though most believe Martin's job is not in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.
Few were satisfied with the way Martin navigated the release of the report.
“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into a dumb press cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote on social media.
'Wrong firepower directed at Trump'
The report found that Harris and his allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, particularly his criminal record. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging has focused too much on thinking and winning arguments, “even in cycles where voters are defined by anger.”
“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative publicity to the extent necessary,” the report said. “The Trump campaign and the Super PACs that support it were fully active against Vice President Harris, but there was not enough or the same negative fire directed at Trump by the Democrats.”
The report continues: “It was important to prosecute an effective case for why Trump should be impeached. The reasons were there, but the messages didn't agree.”
Former US vice president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has called on Americans to stand up to President Donald Trump and his violation of 'American ideals' in her first major speech since losing the election.
The DNC appears to reject these conclusions, adding annotations such as “no source or evidence provided.”
Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies has been cited as a key contradiction.
More specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” by Trump's “highly effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement in support of taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery for inmates.
Democratic voters believe that “if the Vice President won't change his position — and he hasn't — then nothing would work as a response,” the report said.
'The math doesn't work'
The report criticized Harris' engagement with key segments of America while criticizing the party's focus on “identity politics.”
“Harris has written off rural America, thinking that urban/suburban areas will compensate. The math doesn't work,” the report said. “You cannot lose rural areas because of many different areas and succeed in other areas where rural voters are a large part of the electorate.
“If Democrats are going to retake leadership in the Heartland or the South, their candidates must do well in rural areas. Speak up, listen, and repeat.”
The report also points to Democrats' poor performance with male voters of color.
“Male voters need direct communication. The gender gap can be narrowed,” she said. “Send male delegates, address the economic issues and don't think that identity politics will capture male voters of color.”
