The biggest lesson from Trump’s retribution campaign: From the Politics Desk

From the Politics DeskThe biggest lesson from Trump’s retribution campaign: From the Politics DeskPlus, the autopsy of the DNC’s 2024 autopsy.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Add NBC News to GoogleFmr. GOP Sen. Flake says Republicans could begin ‘great migration’ away from Trump17:52Get more newsLiveonShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 21, 2026, 5:04 PM EDTBy The Politics DeskWelcome to From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In today’s edition, Jonathan Allen shares his top takeaway from President Donald Trump’s efforts this month to unseat fellow Republicans. Plus, Natasha Korecki and Ben Kamisar report on the long-awaited unveiling of Democrats’ 2024 election postmortem. Sign up to receive this newsletter in your inbox every weekday here.— Adam WollnerDNC releases 2024 autopsy as chair apologizes for ‘creating an even bigger distraction’By Natasha Korecki and Ben KamisarDemocratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin released the party’s autopsy report on the 2024 election after facing intense pressure to do so.The report details problems that plagued the Democratic Party in the last presidential election, including messaging that “created tensions with key constituencies” on the economy, late-arriving efforts to organize voters on the ground, a lack of alignment between the party’s main super PAC and then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, and more.Meanwhile, the autopsy itself has already caused strains within the party. Martin had been pummeled in public for months after he promised to release the report and then reversed course in December. “I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on the report that was produced,” Martin said in a statement today. “After last November’s massive Democratic wi...