After the 2024 election cycle was over, we knew things were bad for the Democrat National Committee (DNC) and the Democrat Party in general, but we were not sure how bad.
Kamala Harris blew through more than $1.5 billion in 107 days, and it was reported that her campaign was in the red when things were all over.
The DNC reportedly took out loans to cover Harris’ debt, but now the party is drowning in debt, owing a reported $16 million, and fingers are being pointed.
There was a lot of frustration when Joe Biden was still in office, and that turned into the money faucet being turned off by donors.
They made it quite clear that until Biden dropped out, the checks would not be going out. But as soon as Biden exited and Harris was anointed, she was given a war chest of $1.5 billion, and it still was not enough.
Harris was overpaying for just about everything, lining the pockets of people like Oprah Winfrey and high-priced influencers, putting out roughly $100 million per week. Even so, she was losing ground to Trump every time she opened her mouth.
She not only lost the election, but she also lost the popular vote, only the second Democrat to achieve that feat in two decades.
In August, it was reported that the Harris campaign was significantly in the red and that the DNC had stepped up to absorb the debt for her campaign in a private deal.
The New York Times reported, “The private agreement was this: The party would pick up the tab for any outstanding 2024 bills, allowing Ms. Harris to claim she did not end the race in debt. In turn, Ms. Harris would raise the money to cover all of those leftover costs, leaving the party whole financially as it sought to navigate the second Trump era.”
Kirsten Allen, a senior adviser to Harris, responded to the reports, stating, "The vice president is committed to building a strong, resilient Democratic Party equipped to fight for the people and shape our future.”
She continued, “She continues to work hand in hand with the D.N.C. to invest in core infrastructure, grow grass-roots support, and ensure we have the resources to win — not just in the next election, but for years to come.”
Neither Harris nor Joe Biden has had the post-departure push that most administrations see once they leave office. For instance, Trump continued to drive donations after leaving office in 2021, a fact that set him up with a massive war chest for the 2024 cycle.
The DNC, however, is still seeing a massive shortfall, now facing a reported $16 million in debt, mostly due to the Harris deal. Apparently, donors are no longer writing checks for Harris or Biden.
According to the report, the DNC somehow lost money in November, and it now holds far less than what is in the RNC’s war chest, which tallies nearly $90 million. That virtually never happens in modern politics, as the DNC typically dominates fundraising over the RNC.
This is not good news for the Democrat Party, especially because Harris now sounds as though she is leaning into another run in 2028. Donors spotted her $1.5 billion, which was completely mismanaged in a devastating loss. What are the chances those same donors will write checks again in the next presidential cycle for a candidate that has virtually no record on which to run and a history of irresponsible money management?
