Overview
- The Democratic National Committee published the 192-page draft on Thursday, May 21, 2026, after CNN obtained it, and Chair Ken Martin said he was releasing the document unedited while apologizing that it “does not meet my standards.”
- The report was written by consultant Paul Rivera but the DNC says it never received interview lists, transcripts, or full source material and placed page‑by‑page disclaimers and annotations that flag factual errors, typos, placeholders and repeated notes like “no evidence provided.”
- Substantive claims in the draft blame underfunded state parties, a failure to effectively drive President Trump's negatives, limited White House support to build Kamala Harris’s standing, and Democratic underperformance with male, non‑college, rural and irregular voters.
- The flawed public release followed months of pressure from donors, activists and some party figures to make the autopsy public and has sharpened internal criticism of Martin and renewed debate over messaging, resource allocation and rebuilding before the midterms.
- Key questions remain because the draft omits a formal conclusion and sustained analysis of major 2024 flashpoints such as Biden’s decision to run, the Gaza war, and Harris’s late nomination, leaving party leaders to decide whether to commission a vetted, source‑backed review to guide 2028 planning.