Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., delivered a stark admission during his appearances on Meet the Press this weekend: Democrats have long abandoned working-class Americans by consistently electing status quo establishment candidates unwilling to challenge what he described as a rigged economic system.
Khanna stated that voters were “shafted” and the party failed to build an economic message targeting those populations. His remarks directly responded to the Democratic National Committee’s recently released 2024 election autopsy report, which sparked internal turmoil after DNC Chair Ken Martin delayed its publication for months before issuing it with a disclaimer noting the document did not meet his standards and lacked independent verification.
The release process itself became emblematic of party dysfunction. Multiple elected Democrats and operatives demanded Martin resign over his handling of the report, arguing he mismanaged the critical post-election analysis meant to chart a path forward. The final document included a prominent red disclaimer stating it reflected the author’s views rather than the DNC’s, with no underlying sourcing or supporting data for key assertions.
Former Democratic donor John Morgan further criticized the party’s approach during an interview on Jesse Watters Primetime. Morgan noted he stopped providing campaign funds to Democrats after Kamala Harris became the nominee and argued the autopsy report ignored issues driving voter rejection—including DEI initiatives, progressive social policies, transgender athlete participation rules, border management approaches, and Harris’s campaign baggage.
The DNC document focused instead on infrastructure, voter registration, and state-party support while neglecting the cultural and economic concerns that mobilized voters. Morgan emphasized Democrats “did not need a lengthy report to understand why voters rejected them.” Khanna’s blunt acknowledgment that working-class Americans feel the system no longer works for them represents an internal party admission that aligns with President Trump’s core message about economic pain and failed promises for ordinary families.
