A progressive advocacy group has called for the release of a classified Democratic National Committee (DNC) report, which allegedly found that the Biden administration’s stance on Israel’s military operations in Gaza cost Vice President Kamala Harris crucial votes in the 2024 election. The report, compiled after an extensive analysis of the party’s defeat, reportedly concluded that the administration’s position on the Israel-Gaza conflict alienated key demographics, including young voters and Arab-Americans.

Internal DNC Findings on Harris’s Loss

According to Axios, the DNC’s internal postmortem, which the committee has decided to keep confidential, identified the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza as a significant factor in Harris’s defeat. DNC officials reportedly discussed the issue in closed-door meetings with pro-Palestinian advocates, including the IMEU Policy Project, which claimed the administration’s stance on Israel drained support from young and progressive voters.

RootsAction, a progressive advocacy group that conducted its own analysis of the 2024 election results, stated that the DNC’s refusal to release its findings undermines the party’s ability to learn from its mistakes and defeat Trumpism in future elections. The group’s report, authored by journalist Christopher D. Cook, highlighted that Harris lost many voters, particularly in critical states like Michigan, due to the campaign’s failure to signal a potential shift in policy on Israel and Palestine.

Impact on Key Demographics

According to RootsAction’s analysis, nearly 30% of voters who supported former President Joe Biden in 2020 but did not vote for Harris in 2024 cited the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict as the top issue influencing their decision. The IMEU Policy Project, which conducted polling on the matter, argued that the findings demonstrate what few in the Democratic Party have been willing to admit: Harris’s loss was partly due to the administration’s support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

The New Republic’s Greg Sargent reported in December that the DNC completed its postmortem after extensive data analysis and hundreds of interviews across all 50 states. However, a DNC official told Sargent that the committee decided not to release the report, fearing it would spark a media frenzy and internal divisions within the party.

During an event promoting her memoir, Harris admitted that the Biden administration “should’ve done more” to protect Palestinian civilians from the Israeli government’s actions. She acknowledged that the administration had “more levers, in terms of use, that we did not use.”

Controversy Over Report’s Secrecy

Former foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders, Matt Duss, suggested that the only reason to keep the report confidential is to avoid offending conservative donors. He wrote on social media that the DNC’s decision to withhold the findings could be seen as an attempt to shield the party from criticism that might alienate key financial supporters.

RootsAction has urged the DNC to release the report, arguing that transparency is essential for the party to address its shortcomings and improve its chances in future elections. “The DNC’s refusal to publicize its findings undermines the goal of defeating Trumpism,” the group stated in a press release.

The internal findings, if made public, could have significant implications for the Democratic Party’s strategy in the upcoming elections. The report’s conclusions may force the party to reconsider its stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict and its broader foreign policy positions.

With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, the DNC’s internal analysis could become a key factor in shaping the party’s messaging and strategy. The findings may also influence how the Biden administration handles future diplomatic and military decisions in the Middle East.