After all, Democrats will not release a post-election report on the 2024 shelling.
The chairman of the Democratic National Committee has decided not to release a formal assessment of the party’s defeat that returned Donald Trump to power and gave Republicans complete control of Washington.
Minnesota party leader Ken Martin, who was elected national leader after Trump’s election, ordered a thorough review of what went wrong and what could be done differently, with the intention of distributing the report as Republicans did after their 2012 election performance. Martin has now completed the investigation, which included hundreds of interviews, but says it is not worth releasing the findings because they could lead to continued infighting and accusations ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress is at stake.
“Will this help us win?” Martin said in a statement Thursday. “If the answer is no, then you have strayed from your core mission.”
Mr. Martin’s decision, first reported by the New York Times, will exempt Democratic Party officials from further scrutiny of their campaigns, including former President Joe Biden, who withdrew from the race after announcing he was running for a second term, and Vice President Kamala Harris, who was nominated but lost to Mr. Trump.
Keeping the report secret also means Martin won’t have to take sides in the tug-of-war between moderates and progressives or assess how candidates should address issues such as transgender rights, which President Trump has exploited.
“We’re winning again,” Martin said.
Martin’s announcement comes after a series of successful 2025 campaigns in both special elections and off-year statewide ballots, suggesting strong enthusiasm for the Democratic candidate.
In November, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill won the gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively. Democratic socialist Zoran Mamdani defeated establishment Democratic Party-turned-independent Andrew Cuomo in the New York mayoral election.
In U.S. House special elections held throughout 2025, Democratic candidates consistently outperformed their party in 2024, often by double-digit percentages. Democrats flipped state legislative districts and some statewide seats across the country, even in Republican-leaning areas.
The DNC’s report will not be made public, but committee aides said some of its conclusions will be incorporated into the party’s 2026 plans.
For example, the survey results reflect a consensus that Democratic candidates have not adequately addressed voters’ concerns about public safety and immigration, two themes that President Trump has laid out in his comeback campaign. It also found that Democrats need to overhaul their digital outreach, particularly to younger voters, who see Trump’s significant victory over Harris compared to the previous election.
Barrow writes for The Associated Press.
