Democratic donors are reportedly withdrawing support from a fundraising event for former Vice President Kamala Harris, with at least one sending a profanity-laced rejection.
Sources familiar with the matter say the Democratic National Committee (DNC) contacted major donors for the San Francisco fundraiser, but most declined.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the DNC has struggled to raise money during President Trump's second term in office.
"Upon receiving the invitation, one replied with a profanity-laced rejection," the report read. "Others said they didn’t want to give to the party until it produced substantive plans to win elections. Those who declined told the national party they had commitments and couldn’t make it work."
The DNC eventually found a donor to host the fundraiser, but they raised far less than what was expected. The report said:
A top official at a national Democratic group said some donors remain angry about how their money was spent in last year’s presidential election by outside groups, including on what they see as excessive salaries for Washington, D.C., consultants. The official said the party has failed to complete a public post election investigation into what went wrong in 2024.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the DNC has roughly $12 million in cash on hand, far less than the Republican National Committee’s $86 million. Some Democrat insiders attribute the gap in funding to the party being out of power, while others see it as evidence of a widening rift between progressive and establishment Democrats. There is still little direction the party has taken, other than opposing President Trump in any way they see possible, including his White House Ballroom project.
Many people believe that the Democrats have two choices: back away from their extreme policies, like advocating for men in women's sports, or lean into their progressive wing, which would double down on both social and political progressivism. It seems lately that they have begun to choose the latter.