Former Vice President Kamala Harris is signaling that the Democratic National Committee should release its internal review of her failed 2024 presidential campaign, according to a person who has heard her remarks to donors. The disclosure comes as Harris considers another bid for the White House in 2028, having publicly acknowledged she is "thinking about" another run at a National Action Network event in New York last month.
The DNC-commissioned autopsy has become a flash point within the party. Chairman Ken Martin had promised to conduct a comprehensive review of the 2024 defeat and share findings with the public, but he has since kept the report under wraps. Harris told donors she had no issue with releasing it, though she has not discussed the matter directly with Martin and was unaware of his decision until it happened, the person said.
What the Right Is Saying
Critics within the party are less enthusiastic about Harris's continued presence in Democratic politics. Some donors remain uneasy about where their money went after the campaign and DNC together spent $1.5 billion over 107 days, according to people familiar with internal party finances.
Democratic strategists note that Harris faces structural challenges if she runs again. "I don't know how she runs from Israel, and I don't know how she runs from Biden, and she's not good at threading the needle," said one prominent Harris donor who still communicates with her. "If she's the lead horse, it will be easy to cut her legs. She comes with baggage."
Many Democratic insiders dismiss a potential Harris candidacy outright, arguing she carries too much legacy from the Biden administration. Some privately say the party risks doom in 2028 if it nominates another woman or person of color after both Harris and Hillary Clinton lost general elections to Donald Trump.
The energy within the party has shifted toward newer voices willing to challenge the establishment more aggressively, these critics argue. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have generated significant excitement among progressive voters frustrated with the party's direction.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive activists who have pushed for transparency say they welcome Harris's apparent position but note her private remarks to donors differ from public advocacy. "More than four months have passed since Martin announced he was reneging on his promise to release the autopsy," said Norm Solomon, executive director of RootsAction. "But Harris still hasn't made any public statement that she believes it should be released. Saying so privately to some big donors is very different than publicly calling for transparency from the DNC, which is badly needed."
Other potential 2028 contenders have been more direct in their calls for disclosure. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are among those who have urged the report's release. Rahm Emanuel, a former Obama chief of staff exploring his own presidential bid, was blunt: "We are all adults. If we can't handle an after action report on how we spent 4 billion and lost then we are all third grade soccer players and get a medal for effort," he wrote in a text message. "God help us."
Supporters of Harris argue she has nothing to prove. Rev. Al Sharpton, who has advised her on next steps, told her that her legacy is secure as the first woman and first woman of color elected vice president. Yet Sharpton also cautioned that running again carries risk. "She is being encouraged to run by a lot of people around her and by a lot of people around the country," Sharpton said in a telephone interview. "She is definitely getting a lot of push, and I think it will ultimately impact her decision."
South Carolina-based strategist Antjuan Seawright, who advised the 2024 campaign, pushed back on those who say Harris should step aside. "I find it offensive for people to say to a qualified Black woman: 'Shut up and go away,'" he said. "We don't hear that same approach with others who may not look like Kamala."
What the Numbers Show
Harris lost the 2024 electoral vote to Trump, 312-226, and the popular vote by 1.5 percentage points. However, she collected 75 million votes, more than any previous presidential runner-up in U.S. history.
Internal DNC documents reveal significant operational challenges. Despite making over 300 million phone calls during the campaign—more than any campaign in history—only 3% of those calls resulted in an actual contact with a voter, according to party records.
In early polling of potential 2028 Democratic candidates, Harris has consistently led for months, though strategists note some of that reflects name recognition rather than current support. Harris raised approximately $1 billion during the general election and maintains a national fundraising network she kept active to help the DNC pay off debt from her campaign.
The Bottom Line
The debate over releasing the autopsy speaks to broader tensions within the Democratic Party about how to process the 2024 defeat. Martin faces pressure from multiple directions: those who want transparency and those—including some Harris allies—who argue that publicizing internal critiques could aid a potential Harris comeback by demonstrating she is willing to acknowledge mistakes.
Harris has not publicly called for release of the report, creating an opening for critics to question whether her private donor remarks represent genuine conviction or political positioning. What remains clear is that both Martin and Harris face decisions about how much transparency the party can handle as it prepares for 2028—and whether accountability or protection serves the party better in its recovery.