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The Democratic Party's still-secret internal review of the 2024 presidential election concluded that the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza cost Kamala Harris significant voter support, according to Axios.
Democratic National Committee (DNC) officials preparing the report on Harris' loss to Donald Trump found that the administration's backing of Israel was a "net-negative" in the 2024 election, draining support from young and progressive voters, the report said.
DNC aides working on the party's post-election analysis held a closed-door conversation with the pro-Palestinian IMEU Policy Project about the Israel-Gaza conflict, Axios reported.
Activists from the IMEU Policy Project told the DNC that the Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel was a factor in the party's losses because it eroded support among young people and progressives.
Hamid Bendaas, a spokesperson for the IMEU Policy Project, said during the meeting, "the DNC shared with us that their own data also found that policy was, in their words, a 'net-negative' in the 2024 election." Two other senior aides at the pro-Palestinian organization also confirmed the DNC had drawn that conclusion.
Axios independently verified that Democratic officials conducting the autopsy believed the issue harmed the party's standing with some voters.
The IMEU Policy Project is now accusing the DNC of withholding the report in part because of its findings on Israel. DNC spokesperson Kendall Witmer denied that claim.
DNC officials announced last year they would not release the audit, saying they did not want the report to distract from the work of winning elections.
Bendaas said the DNC should share its findings on Israel widely throughout the party ahead of the "critical" midterm elections.
During her brief campaign, Harris sought to strike a balance, showing strong support for Israel while calling for a ceasefire and expressing sympathy for Palestinians under attack in Gaza as well as the hostages being held by Hamas.
Progressive and moderate Democrats remain particularly divided over Israel, with the left more critical of Israel's actions against Palestinians in Gaza and many questioning the U.S.' unwavering support for Israel.
Asked for comment, a Harris aide pointed to the former vice president's recent remarks about the war in Gaza during a tour stop for her memoir, "107 Days."
"We should have done more as an administration," Harris said at the event, adding, "we should have spoken publicly about our criticism" of how Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu executed the war.
Harris wrote in her book that President Biden's unpopularity, which she argued was partly because of "his perceived blank check" to Netanyahu, harmed her in 2024.
Harris said she privately "pleaded" with Biden to show more empathy for civilians in Gaza. She wrote that Biden could passionately say "I am a Zionist," but his words about innocent Palestinians were "perceived as insufficient and forced."
However, during her campaign, Harris declined to publicly break with Biden over Israel.
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