Top Democratic officials who reviewed the party’s closely guarded 2024 election autopsy concluded that former Vice President Kamala Harris lost meaningful support over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza, according to multiple sources familiar with the findings.
The internal review, commissioned by the Democratic National Committee after Harris’ defeat to Donald Trump, has been kept under lock and key. Party leaders opted not to release the report publicly, citing concerns that it could distract from future elections — a decision that has only fueled speculation about what it contains.
According to individuals briefed on the matter, Democratic officials conducting the analysis determined that the administration’s approach to Israel’s war in Gaza was a “net-negative” for the party in 2024. The issue appears to have particularly hurt Harris among young voters and progressives, many of whom were sharply critical of U.S. support for Israel.
During her short-lived presidential campaign, Harris attempted to strike a delicate balance: affirming strong support for Israel while also calling for a ceasefire and expressing sympathy for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held by Hamas. But internal party data suggests that balancing act may not have satisfied key segments of the Democratic base.
The findings surfaced during a closed-door conversation between DNC aides and the IMEU Policy Project, a pro-Palestinian advocacy group. Hamid Bendaas, a spokesperson for the organization, said the DNC shared that its own research showed Gaza policy had cost the party support. Two additional senior IMEU officials echoed that characterization. Democratic sources confirmed independently that the issue was viewed internally as a political liability.
The IMEU Policy Project has since accused the DNC of withholding the report in part because of its conclusions about Israel — a claim DNC spokesperson Kendall Witmer denies. Party officials say insights from the audit are being folded into strategy discussions ahead of the midterms.
On a recent stop promoting her memoir, 107 Days, Harris acknowledged, “We should have done more as an administration,” adding that they should have spoken more publicly about disagreements with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In her book, she also wrote that President Biden’s perceived “blank check” to Netanyahu contributed to her political challenges — though she ultimately chose not to break with him publicly during the campaign.
