Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), speaking out against labeling American voters as sexist and racist.
WASHINGTONâThe aftermath of the 2024 presidential election has led to disappointment among many Democrats. As voters continue to digest the results, a blame game has emerged within the Democratic Party.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the former House speaker, broke her silence on the election results in an interview with The New York Times published on Nov. 8.
âWe live with what happened. And because the president endorsed Kamala Harris immediately, that really made it almost impossible to have a primary at that time. If it had been much earlier, it would have been different,â Pelosi said.
Speaking from the Rose Garden at the White House on Nov. 7, Biden pledged a peaceful transition of power to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump and urged Americans to âaccept the choice.â
Later that day, reporters repeatedly asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre if Biden felt any responsibility for the outcome.
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Jean-Pierre pushed back against criticisms directed at Biden.
She stated that the COVID-19 pandemic created âglobal headwindsâ that had a âpolitical tollâ on many incumbent presidents around the world in 2024.
When the president decided to exit the presidential race, Jean-Pierre said, âhe immediately endorsed her, and the party unified behind her.â
âAnd itâs because she was the right person for the job.â
Democrat strategist Theryn Bond argued that the Democrats suffered from poor coordination, âantiquatedâ messaging, and a lack of clarity regarding their policies and platform.
President Joe Biden addresses the nation after the presidential election outcome, congratulating President-elect Donald Trump at the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington on Nov. 7, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
âI donât think that President Joe Biden can be blamed for the loss,â Bond told The Epoch Times.
Biden stepping aside earlier would have helped, she noted, but only if the campaign infrastructure had already been in place, with a message and a candidate capable of winning over the American public.
Many were disappointed with the election result in the nationâs capital, where Vice President Kamala Harris received more than 92 percent of the vote.
After her defeat, people flocked to the vice presidentâs residence, the Naval Observatory, leaving flowers and Post-it notes of support outside her home.
âThank you for your joy,â read one note.
âOur hero,â said another.
âThey Are Too Liberalâ
In the early hours of Nov. 6, Trump was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election.
Harris delivered an emotional concession speech at Howard University later that day.
âWhile I concede this election, I do not concede the fight that fueled this campaign,â she told her supporters, urging them to fight for freedom and democracy.
Rockii Wright, a junior student at Howard University, who attended Harrisâs remarks on campus, said she was disappointed with the election result.
She told The Epoch Times that some people in her school were expressing feelings of loss as if someone had passed away.
âThatâs how much it meant to them, because this was essentially their only option, their only real hope,â she said.
People saw it as a chance for real change, Wright noted. After being so close and then losing it, she said, âIt was just like, dang.â
Bill Godsey, who works on campus for the medical school, expressed anger at the election result.
Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris listen to her concession speech at Howard University in Washington on Nov. 6, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times
âAmerica told us who they are,â he said after watching Harrisâs remarks.
âWeâre not a united state, weâre an angry state, and weâre a separated state, and thatâs who we are right now,â he said. âYouâve got to face that in order to make it better.â
A voter originally from Ethiopia, who became a U.S. citizen only a few years ago, was sipping his coffee at a Starbucks near Howard University. The person, who requested anonymity, said that he voted for Biden in 2020, but this time, he chose not to vote for any candidate.
âI donât have any issue with Harris personally, but as for the Democratic Party, I didnât want to vote for them,â he told The Epoch Times.
He continued, âThey are too liberal. And I feel like theyâre going too far.â
The Blame Game
Trump secured a decisive victory in the November election, becoming the first Republican in two decades to win the popular vote. Republicans have gained control of the Senate and are on track to take control of the House as well.
The loss for Democrats has revealed deep divisions among the left, with notable progressives, including Sen. Khanna, speaking out against labeling American voters as sexist and racist.
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) criticized the partyâs direction, stating that it is no surprise that a Democratic Party that has abandoned working-class people would find that the working class has abandoned them. He mentioned that first, it was the white working class, and now it is Latino and Black workers as well.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) also weighed in, saying it is wrong for Democrats to label American voters as âsexist and racist.â He emphasized the importance of introspection and self-reflection, especially considering that these are people in areas that voted twice for Barack Hussein Obama.
Republican strategist Brian Seitchik agreed, pointing out that Democrats are still in the âfinger-pointing phaseâ instead of engaging in soul-searching. He expressed hope that they would soon take a hard look at their failures.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) added to the conversation, suggesting that Democrats should align their positions with the majority of Americans rather than pursuing far-left policies such as âdefund the Police.â He expressed concerns about the far left influencing the perception of the Democratic Party due to their outsized impact.
