Secret Democratic report confirms what everyone suspected about Kamala Harris’ loss, but party leaders don’t want you to see it

A leaked finding from the Democratic National Committee’s internal 2024 election autopsy reveals that the Biden administration’s handling of the Gaza conflict cost Kamala Harris a significant number of votes. Party leaders have kept this report private, but the leak points directly to the war as a major factor in her loss to President Trump.

According to Axios, the report concluded that the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel was a “net-negative” in the 2024 election. This policy drained support from younger voters and progressives, directly hurting the party’s overall performance. The finding helps explain why the DNC chose not to release the report publicly.

The DNC’s decision to bury the report makes sense given the deep divisions within the party over Israel. Progressive Democrats are often critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza and question U.S. support, while moderate Democrats tend to hold different views. Making this data public could easily deepen those divisions.

The Gaza issue likely cost Harris votes among younger and progressive voters

This finding came to light after a closed-door meeting between DNC aides working on the report and activists from the IMEU Policy Project, a pro-Palestinian group. Hamid Bendaas, a spokesperson for the group, said DNC aides confirmed their own data showed the policy was a “net-negative.” Two other senior aides from the organization backed up this account.

The Gaza conflict continues to be a major point of tension in global politics, with various world leaders proposing their own peace efforts for Gaza that have drawn both attention and skepticism. During her campaign, Harris expressed strong support for Israel while also calling for a ceasefire and showing empathy for Palestinian civilians and hostages held by Hamas. Since losing the election, she has spoken more openly on the issue

On a book tour for her memoir, 107 Days, Harris admitted that the administration “should have done more” and that they “should have spoken publicly about our criticism” of how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conducted the war.

Harris also wrote in her book that President Biden’s unpopularity, partly due to what she described as “his perceived blank check” to Netanyahu, hurt her chances in 2024. She revealed that she privately “pleaded” with Biden to show more empathy for civilians in Gaza, but chose not to publicly break with him over Israel during the campaign.

The IMEU Policy Project has accused the DNC of withholding the report specifically because of these findings about Israel. DNC spokesperson Kendall Witmer denied that claim. When DNC officials first announced they would not release the report, they said it was to avoid distracting from the work of winning elections. The DNC confirmed it spoke with the IMEU Policy Project along with hundreds of other groups as part of its analysis, but did not provide further details.

Bendaas is now pushing the DNC to share its findings on Israel widely within the party, saying it is important ahead of what he calls “critical” upcoming midterm elections. DNC officials say they are incorporating research from the audit into ongoing discussions with candidates and campaigns, though they have not made the findings public. 

The broader question of how the U.S. engages with international institutions remains relevant, as Trump has been defunding UN agencies and reshaping global peace efforts in ways that could further complicate the situation.