Khanna torches Democrats for running 'status quo' candidates, admits working-class voters were ‘shafted’

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said Sunday that Democrats have failed to connect with working-class voters because the party too often backed "status quo establishment candidates" unwilling to challenge what he described as a rigged economic system.

Speaking on "Meet the Press," Khanna weighed in on a newly released Democratic National Committee autopsy report examining the party’s 2024 election loss and broader struggles with voters.

"We do need to recognize that the status quo has failed," Khanna said. "This is a system that has created massive inequality. That the economy is lopsided and unfair, and it’s not working for many working-class and middle-class Americans. And too often we’ve run status quo establishment candidates who have been unwilling to call out an economic and political system that has failed."

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Khanna made the remarks after NBC's Kristen Welker cited a passage from the DNC report arguing Democrats have focused too heavily on "winning arguments" while Republicans focused on "winning elections."

The California Democrat rejected the idea that Democrats should abandon reasoned debate but acknowledged the party needs a stronger economic message aimed at voters struggling financially.

"I don’t think we need to give up reason," Khanna said. "I think more Americans probably want reason debate in this country."

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Khanna also reflected on former Vice President Kamala Harris and the report's conclusion that the White House did not do enough over several years to improve her standing before Democrats switched nominees.

"In retrospect, had she been in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio talking about the economy and been the lead for the president’s economic policies — the Inflation Reduction Act, the American Rescue Plan, the CHIPS Act — perhaps we would have done better," Khanna said.

Still, Khanna argued Democrats must now focus on rebuilding support among working-class voters heading into future elections.

"We need to have an economic message that actually is talking to the working-class folks who have been shafted," he said, "and that’s taking on a system that has been rigged."

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Khanna also defended the DNC Chair Ken Martin as some Democrats call for his resignation following backlash over the handling of the autopsy report.

"No," Khanna said when asked whether Martin should step down.

Khanna pointed to Martin’s opposition to super PAC involvement in Democratic primaries and his criticism of superdelegates selecting party nominees as positions he supports.

"Ken Martin is a Paul Wellstone Democrat," Khanna said. "There are two things he’s done that I actually agree with."

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Khanna added that Martin could have handled the autopsy process better and should work more closely with state parties ahead of the 2026 and 2028 election cycles.

"Could he have handled this autopsy better? Absolutely," Khanna said. "Should he be working more with state parties to make sure they’re funded into ’26 and ’28? Absolutely. But I don’t believe he should resign."

The DNC report was commissioned after Democrats’ losses in the 2024 election cycle and was reportedly delayed before its public release amid internal disagreements over its findings and political fallout.