Author of DNC's 2024 "autopsy" says he concluded Gaza war hurt Harris

Per Axios, Paul Rivera—who authored the Democratic National Committee's 2024 election autopsy—has confirmed he found the Gaza war cost Kamala Harris votes, particularly in Michigan's Arab American communities like Dearborn. He drafted that conclusion but never submitted it to party leadership. When the DNC released its official autopsy earlier this year, it notably omitted Gaza entirely, drawing criticism from some Democrats. This week, Rivera published his own five-hundred-sixty-four-page report detailing the analysis. He concludes Harris lost tens of thousands of votes in Michigan due to Israel-Hamas war backlash, though he emphasizes this was one of several factors behind her defeat in the state. The finding has reignited Democratic debate: progressives argue the war drained support from young voters and Arab Americans, while moderates contend its electoral weight is overstated.

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