Democrats are searching for answers after Kamala Harris' presidential campaign collapsed on Election Night.

Getty Images

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

U.S. Elections

Biden, Harris, Walz, Clooney: Dems point fingers after loss to Trump

Nov 7

Karah Rucker Anchor/Reporter

By Karah Rucker (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

Democrats are searching for answers after Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign collapsed on Election Night. President Joe Biden, Gov. Tim Walz and even actor George Clooney are all being blamed by some within the Democratic Party.

Some party members trace the loss back to when Biden dropped out of the race in July 2024. Several Harris campaign advisers told The Associated Press that Biden should have stepped aside earlier in the election cycle.

Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.

Point phone camera here

Andrew Yang, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, agreed.

“The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden,” Yang said. “If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”

David Plouffe, a top adviser to Harris’ campaign, called the loss “devastating.” He noted the campaign had to “dig itself out of a deep hole.” Plouffe deleted his social media accounts after his comment.

Many former Harris campaign staffers spoke anonymously to media outlets, some blaming Biden for the loss. They expressed frustration at the late timing of Biden’s exit.

“We ran the best campaign we could, considering Joe Biden was president. Joe Biden is the singular reason Kamala Harris and Democrats lost,” one Harris aide told Politico.

The national campaign? Nothing. Zero. They had no respect, no coordination. I didn’t even have one conversation with the lady.
Bob Brady, Philadelphia Democrat Party Chairman

While those close to Harris blame Biden, other Democrats are pointing fingers at Harris herself. In Philadelphia, where the city’s Democratic National Committee Chair Bob Brady was outspoken. He criticized Harris’ campaign as “incompetent” and said it failed to support local Democratic leadership.

“The national campaign? Nothing. Zero. They had no respect, no coordination. I didn’t even have one conversation with the lady,” Brady said. “They didn’t even do the right thing by giving us the resources we need. And they want to blame us? And now I understand someone in her camp is blaming Joe Biden? Can you imagine blaming Joe Biden for her loss? She lost, he didn’t lose.”

The Harris campaign quickly responded, defending its efforts.

“We knocked more than two million doors in the weekend leading up to Election Day, which is two million more doors than Bob Brady’s organization can claim to have knocked during his entire tenure as party chairman,” a senior adviser to the Harris campaign said.

Lindy Li, a Harris surrogate, also reflected on Harris’ choice of running mate. She questioned whether replacing Gov. Tim Walz with a more moderate option, such as Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, would have changed the race.

“The blame game has started,” Li said. “One of the things that are top of mind is the choice of Tim Walz as vice presidential candidate. A lot of people are saying tonight that it should have been Josh Shapiro. Frankly, people have been saying that for months. I know a lot of people are probably wondering tonight what would have happened had Shapiro been on the ticket.”

As some Democrats argue that Biden waited too long to pass the torch, others are questioning whether he should have stepped aside at all.

Prominent figures, including George Clooney, are now being mocked online for their calls for Biden to exit the race. Clooney had written an op-ed in The New York Times, urging Biden to end his campaign and allow the party to nominate a new candidate.

Journalist Joshua Hartley shared a screenshot of Clooney’s piece on X, mocking the suggestion with the caption, “Thank you, George Clooney.”

Meanwhile, progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was re-elected in Vermont on Tuesday, Nov. 5, took to X to offer his own critique. In a post that responded to the infighting within the party, Sanders said the issue lay with the Democratic Party itself.

“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them,” Sanders wrote. “While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”

Tags: 2024 Elections, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party, Democrats, Donald Trump, Election, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Tim Walz

[Karah]

DEMOCRATS ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS AFTER KAMALA HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT COLLAPSED ON ELECTION NIGHT.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, TIM WALZ, EVEN GEORGE CLOONEY –

ARE ALL RECEIVING A PIECE OF THE BLAME FROM PEOPLE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

SOME DEMOCRATS ARE TRACING THE LOSS BACK TO THE BEGINNING –

WHEN BIDEN BOWED OUT OF THE RACE IN JULY.

SOME HARRIS CAMPAIGN ADVISERS TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BIDEN SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED EARLIER IN THE ELECTION CYCLE HE NEEDED TO STEP ASIDE.

ANDREW YANG – A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE IN 2020 – AGREES.

“The biggest onus of this loss is on President Biden. If he had stepped down in January instead of July, we may be in a very different place.”

DAVID PLOUFFE – A TOP ADVISOR TO THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN – CALLED THE LOSS “DEVASTATING” – AND HIGHLIGHTED HOW THE CAMPAIGN HAD TO “DIG ITSELF OUT OF A DEEP HOLE.”

HE DELETED HIS SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER THAT POST.

MANY HARRIS CAMPAIGN STAFFERS ARE SPEAKING ANONYMOUSLY TO MEDIA OUTLETS – POINTING THE FINGER AT BIDEN –

FUMING AT THE HAND THEY WERE DEALT SO LATE IN THE GAME.

ONE HARRIS AIDE TOLD POLITICO –

“We ran the best campaign we could, considering Joe Biden was president. Joe Biden is the singular reason Kamala Harris and Democrats lost.”

WHILE PEOPLE ON HARRIS’ SIDE BLAME BIDEN –

OTHER DEMOCRATIC VOICES – ARE BLAMING HER.

A MORE PUBLIC CASE OF FINGER POINTING HAPPENING IN PHILADELPHIA –

WHERE THE PHILLY DNC CHAIR SAYS HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN WAS “INCOMPETENT” AND PROVIDED NO SUPPORT TO LOCAL DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP.

“The national campaign? Nothing. Zero. They had no respect, no coordination, i didn’t even have one conversation with the lady. They didn’t even do the right thing with giving us the resources we need. And they want to blame us? And now i understand someone in her camp is blaming joe biden? Can you imagine blaming joe biden for her loss? She lost he didn’t lose.”

THE HARRIS CAMPAIGN WAS QUICK TO RESPOND.

SAYING THEY “…knocked more than two million doors in the weekend leading up to Election Day, which is two million more doors than Bob Brady’s organization can claim to have knocked during his entire tenure as party chairman.”

A HARRIS SURROGATE IS NOW REFLECTING ON HARRIS’ CHOICE FOR V-P –

AND QUESTIONS IF TIM WALZ WAS REPLACED ON THE TICKET WITH A MORE MODERATE CHOICE – WOULD THE RACE HAVE SHAPED UP DIFFERENTLY.

“The blame game has started. One of the things that are top of mind is the choice of Tim Walz as vice presidential candidate. A lot of people are saying tonight that it should have been Josh Shapiro. Frankly, people have been saying that for months. I know a lot of people are probably wondering tonight what would have happened had Shapiro been on the ticket. And not only in terms of Pennsylvania. He’s famously a moderate.”

WHILE SOME DEMOCRATS BELIEVE BIDEN TOOK TOO LONG TO PASS THE TORCH –

SOME ARE QUESTIONING WHETHER BIDEN SHOULD HAVE STEPPED ASIDE AT ALL –

PART OF A PUSH FROM PROMINENT PEOPLE – LIKE GEORGE CLOONEY – NOW BEING MOCKED ONLINE.

A JOURNALIST POSTED A SCREENSHOT OF GEORGE CLOONEY’S OP-ED IN THE NEW YORK TIMES – ASKING BIDEN TO END HIS CAMPAIGN – SAYING THE PARTY NEEDED A NEW NOMINEE.

JOSHUA HARTLEY CAPTIONED IT WITH “THANK YOU GEORGE CLOONEY.”

PROGRESSIVE BERNIE SANDERS – WHO WON RE-ELECTION IN VERMONT TUESDAY –

TOOK TO X TO SEND A MESSAGE.

WHILE THE INFIGHTING AND FINGER POINTING WAS QUICK TO SPARK – SANDERS SAYS IT’S THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THAT’S THE PROBLEM.

“It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.

While the Democratic leadership defends the status quo, the American people are angry and want change. And they’re right.”

THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR NEWS UPDATE.

FOR MORE STORIES THAT MATTER TO YOU –

BE SURE TO DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS MOBILE APP.

OR VISIT US ONLINE AT SAN DOT COM.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS – I’M KARAH RUCKER.