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NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris “wrote disconnected agrarian America" during the 2024 statesmanlike run and failed to onslaught Donald Trump with capable “negative firepower," according to a long-awaited post-election autopsy released Thursday by the Democratic National Committee.
But the document's cardinal findings, the absorption of overmuch enigma implicit the past year, were astir an afterthought among Democratic officials who expressed heavy vexation with DNC seat Ken Martin 's handling of the concern and the absorption of the party's governmental machine.
Martin shared the 192-page study lone aft facing aggravated interior unit from Democratic operatives. He primitively promised to merchandise the autopsy adjacent earlier taking implicit the committee past year, lone to support it nether wraps due to the fact that helium disquieted it would interfere with Democrats' absorption connected the November midterms.
“I didn’t privation to make a distraction,” Martin wrote connected Substack. “Ironically, successful doing so, I ended up creating an adjacent bigger distraction. And for that, I sincerely apologize.”
He said the study was withheld due to the fact that it “was not acceptable for primetime,” and the DNC covered the papers with annotations and disclaimers saying it was incomplete and unsubstantiated.
The report's merchandise did thing to temper irritation astatine Martin, and Democratic insiders were exasperated arsenic they spent the time talking astir a two-year-old predetermination alternatively of focusing connected Trump's unpopular warfare successful Iran, surging prices oregon the backlash against the president's White House ballroom.
Martin faces increasing outrage
Indeed, the archetypal absorption to the study was a premix of bafflement and choler implicit Martin’s handling of the situation.
Democratic strategist Dan Pfeiffer, formerly a elder advisor to President Barack Obama, said Martin “must go.”
“It’s hard to ideate anyone handling thing worse than Ken Martin handled the DNC autopsy,” helium wrote connected societal media. “It was a catastrophe of his ain making, and it’s capable grounds that helium is not the close idiosyncratic to pb the DNC astatine this time.”
Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' absorption connected “identity politics,” it sidesteps immoderate of the astir arguable elements of the 2024 campaign. The study does not code erstwhile President Joe Biden’s determination to question reelection, the rushed enactment of Harris to regenerate him aft helium dropped retired oregon the party's acrimonious disagreement implicit the warfare successful Gaza.
“I americium not arrogant of this product; it does not conscionable my standards, and it won’t conscionable your standards,” Martin said. “I don’t endorse what’s successful this report, oregon what’s near retired of it. I could not successful bully religion enactment the DNC’s stamp of support connected it. But transparency is paramount.”
During a speech with unit Thursday, Martin announced that the report's superior author, advisor Paul Rivera, was nary longer moving with the DNC, according to a idiosyncratic connected the telephone not authorized to talk publically astir the backstage discussion.
A spokesperson for Harris did not respond to a petition for comment.
Report says Democrats don't ‘listen to each voters’
The postelection report, which was archetypal released by CNN, calls for “a renewed absorption connected the voters of Middle America and the South, who person travel to judge they are not included successful the Democratic imaginativeness of a stronger and much dynamic America for everyone.”
“Millions of Americans are suffering from mediocre entree to healthcare, manufacturing and occupation losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet proceed to beryllium persuaded to ballot against their champion interests due to the fact that they bash not spot themselves reflected successful the America of the Democratic Party,” the study says.
The autopsy points to a simplification successful enactment and grooming for Democratic authorities parties, elector registration shifts and “a persistent inability oregon unwillingness to perceive to each voters.”
Thursday's merchandise comes arsenic Martin confronts a situation of assurance among enactment officials who are progressively acrophobic astir the wellness of their governmental instrumentality hardly a twelvemonth into his term. Some Democratic operatives person had informal discussions astir recruiting a caller chair, adjacent though astir judge that Martin’s occupation isn't successful superior jeopardy up of the midterm elections.
Few were satisfied with however Martin navigated the report's release.
“The execution, the rollout and the coverup are indicative of however Ken Martin is fundamentally not up to the task,” said Amanda Litman, who leads the Democratic-allied enactment Run For Something. “He volition beryllium incapable of rebuilding the spot indispensable to facilitate a Democratic superior successful 2027-2028.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said the Gaza omission was “notable.” She besides declined to backmost Martin erstwhile asked by The Associated Press whether she supports his leadership.
“I’m gladsome that there’s thing out,” she said. “It’s, of course, taken a precise agelong time.”
Were Democrats excessively nice?
The study recovered that Harris and her allies failed to absorption capable connected Trump's negatives, particularly his felony convictions. This was portion of a broader disapproval that Democrats' messaging is excessively focused connected crushed and winning arguments, “even successful cycles erstwhile the electorate is defined by rage.”
“There was a determination successful the 2024 Democratic enactment not to prosecute successful antagonistic advertizing astatine the standard required,” the study states. “The Trump run and supportive Super PACs went afloat throttle against Vice President Harris, but determination was not capable oregon akin antagonistic firepower directed astatine Trump by Democrats.”
The study continues: “It was indispensable to prosecute a much effectual lawsuit arsenic to wherefore Trump should person been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not marque the case.”
The DNC appeared to cull these conclusions, adding annotations similar "no sourcing oregon grounds provided.”
Trump's onslaught connected Harris' transgender policies was cited arsenic a cardinal contrast.
Specifically, the study suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” successful by the Trump campaign's “very effective” advertisement that highlighted Harris' erstwhile connection of enactment for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for situation inmates.
Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not alteration her presumption — and she did not — past determination was thing which would person worked arsenic a response," the study said.
Democrats can't exclude agrarian voters: ‘The mathematics doesn’t work'
The study criticized Harris' outreach to cardinal segments of America portion condemning the party's absorption connected “identity politics.”
“Harris wrote disconnected agrarian America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The mathematics doesn’t work,” the study says. “You can’t suffer agrarian areas by overwhelming margins and marque it up elsewhere erstwhile agrarian voters are a important stock of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim enactment successful the Heartland oregon the South, candidates indispensable execute good successful agrarian turf. Show up, listen, and past bash it again.”
The study besides references Democrats' underperformance with antheral voters of color.
“Male voters necessitate nonstop engagement. The sex spread tin beryllium narrowed. Deploy antheral messengers, code economical concerns, and don’t presume individuality authorities volition clasp antheral voters of color,” it says.
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AP writer Joey Cappelletti successful Washington contributed.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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