The DNC’s 2024 autopsy is out — and the Democratic pile-on has begun

Under significant pressure, both internally and externally, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has released a disorganized analysis of Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful 2024 presidential campaign. This release occurred on Thursday.

The report depicts a grim outlook for the party after a decisive loss to President Donald Trump, who won every battleground state. Notably, the report fails to address pivotal campaign issues, such as those related to Israel and Gaza.

Democratic strategist Paul Rivera, who wrote the report but is not credited in the publication, states that Democrats “have proven incapable of projecting strength, unity, and leadership, and voters have drifted away.” Initially, CNN released the autopsy, followed shortly by the DNC.

The 192-page report lacks discussions on several key issues troubling the Democratic Party, including the conflict in Gaza, and it briefly mentions former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race. The report appears to conclude without providing definitive insights into the campaign’s failures.

Prominent Democrats have sharply criticized the report and its release process.

Adrienne Elrod, a senior adviser for the Biden and Harris campaigns, commented, “We should take this autopsy with a massive grain of salt. Clearly, the people who put it together ran a highly ineffective, ill-researched process. Therefore it’s difficult to draw constructive conclusions.” She added, “I’m glad Ken released this with annotations. Time to put this chapter behind us and move on and focus on winning the midterms.”

Ashley Etienne, who previously directed communications for Vice President Kamala Harris, remarked, “What’s important is what’s missing, what they’re not releasing.” She suggested the DNC is selectively releasing less problematic parts of the report, which she described as not groundbreaking.

In a statement, DNC Chair Ken Martin acknowledged the report’s shortcomings, saying it “does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards, but I am doing this because people need to be able to trust the Democratic Party and trust our word.”

Each page of the document includes a prominent disclaimer: “This document reflects the views of the author, not the DNC. The DNC was not provided with the underlying sourcing, interviews, or supporting data for many of the assertions contained herein and therefore cannot independently verify the claims presented.”

The report’s sudden release and its incomplete nature have intensified scrutiny on Martin, who is already facing internal challenges as the party deals with financial difficulties. A Democratic operative involved with the DNC and Harris campaign described it as a “self-inflicted wound and unfortunate given victories in New Jersey and Virginia.” Some have questioned Martin’s ability to continue as chair.

Another senior Democratic operative, who asked to remain anonymous, criticized the report’s lack of coherence, stating, “The report’s so stupid, it’s hard to make sense why something’s in there and why it’s not.”

Martin had initially committed to publicly releasing the postmortem in January 2025 but reversed this decision in December. This reversal angered Democrats who were focused on understanding the election loss, even as Martin aimed to shift the party’s focus towards more recent successes.

Pressure mounted on the party to release the report, with liberal groups such as RootsAction inundating DNC officers with emails, while activists speculated on the report’s contents.

The DNC again changed course on Thursday, with Martin apologizing in a Substack post for creating a larger distraction by withholding the report after the party’s recent wins.

According to an anonymous source within the party, the DNC never received a complete report, and the author did not provide a list of interviewees or transcripts. The report is marked by factual inaccuracies and typographical errors.

The post-election analysis includes interviews with hundreds of operatives across all 50 states. During this process, some Democrats expressed concerns about making the findings public. As voters continue to rate Democrats poorly in surveys, the party aims to gain control of at least one congressional chamber in the upcoming fall elections.