The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has ignited a fierce internal debate by choosing to withhold its official post-mortem analysis of the party's failed 2024 presidential campaign. The decision, announced by DNC Chair Ken Martin in mid-December 2025, has been criticised as a profound lack of transparency that risks repeating the errors that led to Donald Trump's return to the White House.
A Pattern of Avoiding Hard Truths
The move to block the report's release aligns with a longstanding pattern within the party's establishment of evading uncomfortable realities. Throughout 2024, despite consistent polling showing a majority of Democratic voters did not want President Joe Biden to run for re-election, virtually every elected Democrat in Washington supported his candidacy until his disastrous debate performance in late June.
This culture of conformity continued under the Biden-Harris shadow throughout 2025. The draft autopsy, which was reportedly completed months ago, was said to avoid casting direct blame on Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, or other senior leaders. Yet, even this "tepid" assessment was deemed too sensitive for public consumption by the DNC leadership.
The Rationale and the Backlash
Chair Ken Martin defended the secrecy with a pragmatic, yet widely criticised, argument. He stated the party's "North Star" was whether an action helps win elections, and that releasing the report would be a "distraction from the core mission." This rationale was seen by many as elitist, suggesting the party's grassroots base—including millions of volunteers and small donors—cannot be trusted with the findings from hundreds of interviews conducted across all 50 states.
Amar Shergill, a former chair of the progressive caucus in the California Democratic party, offered a scathing rebuke on social media, accusing the DNC of choosing to "bury the report that will help Democrats understand how and why they lost."
What an Autopsy Might Have Revealed
Parallel analyses, such as the in-depth "How Democrats Lost the White House" report released by RootsAction, highlight key failures that an official DNC autopsy might have explored. These pivotal issues include:
Voter Disenchantment: The loss of 6.8 million voters who backed Joe Biden in 2020 proved decisive in the close 2024 race. The Harris campaign failed to mobilise this critical bloc.
Abandoning the Base: Amid a cost-of-living crisis, the campaign was perceived as bowing to corporate donor interests, failing to challenge corporate greed's role in inflation and alienating its working-class base.
The Gaza Effect: Harris's unwavering support for military aid to Israel during the Gaza conflict cost her significant support among young voters, Arab-Americans, and Muslim Americans, with tangible consequences in swing states like Michigan.
Financial Questions: An authentic review would also scrutinise the $1.5 billion spent during Harris's 107-day presidential campaign, examining how much was funnelled to insider consultants and advertising firms.
Internal Politics and the Fear of Revolt
Martin's position as DNC chair is itself a factor. He won the role nearly a year ago without the backing of party heavyweights like Senator Chuck Schumer and Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi, who supported his main opponent. An autopsy containing even mild criticism of the party's old guard could have sparked internal revolt.
"It's about protecting people who fucked up," one DNC member confided. "Ken is trying to hold the DNC together. The decision about the autopsy is about trying to keep peace within the party."
Ultimately, critics argue that a party incapable of publicly examining its failures is doomed to repeat them. By prioritising a superficial unity over rigorous self-assessment, the DNC risks entrenching the very dysfunctions that paved the way for electoral disaster in 2024. As Norman Solomon, director of RootsAction, concludes, public candour is not a distraction but a vital tool for breaking the cycle of defeat.
