By Charlie McCarthy | Sunday, 21 December 2025 10:51 AM EST
Democratic Party members are reportedly outraged that Chairman Ken Martin decided to bury an internal review of the 2024 election.
Democrats commissioned a comprehensive post-election analysis to understand what went wrong after their significant losses last year. However, Martin opted to keep the findings confidential from the public, donors, and many party activists.
The backlash is brewing within the Democratic ranks, where strategists warn that withholding the report deepens trust issues and ensures the party repeats its mistakes.
The DNC’s internal review followed a devastating cycle in which Democrats lost the presidency, the Senate, and failed to regain control of the House — a trifecta that should have prompted urgent public reflection. Instead, Martin has chosen to shelve the findings, a move critics describe as prioritizing emotional comfort over addressing systemic failures.
Party leaders defend the decision as strategic: they claim recent election wins have revitalized momentum and urge moving “forward, not looking back.” But internal critics strongly reject this rationale.
One insider revealed that Democrats frequently “gloss over” issues and pretend “nothing to see here,” adding, “And that’s how we lose elections.”
Strategist Jamal Simmons emphasized that volunteers, donors, and voters deserve transparency about what went wrong. He argued the DNC must share findings to foster accountability.
This criticism aligns with longstanding conservative critiques that Democrats operate more like a brand-management operation than a political movement — quick to craft messages but slow to confront reality.
While Democrats highlight recent victories, refusing transparency after such a historic defeat appears avoidant rather than confident.
The internal review involved over 300 interviews across all 50 states. Martin has decided not to publish the findings and will keep them confidential, believing public scrutiny would be “counterproductive” as Democrats prepare for the 2026 elections.
Martin described his rationale bluntly: If a finding doesn’t help the party win, it’s a “distraction.”
Critics argue this approach is misguided. Internal operatives warn that without a clear unifying message beyond opposition to President Donald Trump — and with “Trump bashing” deemed insufficient — the party remains vulnerable.
Strategist Joel Payne cautioned that avoiding “hard and uncomfortable conversations” fails to rebuild trust among voters and activists, leaving the party without meaningful progress.
Internal reports suggest burying the review could deprive Democrats of necessary introspection. A researcher noted the party is “scared” of upsetting its coalition — a fear that prevents addressing difficult questions head-on.
