Harris and Walz Shell-Shocked After Trump’s Crushing Election Victory

According to political journalist Amie Parnes, former Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Governor Tim Walz were stunned by their defeat in the 2024 presidential election, with Harris even questioning whether a recount was necessary.

Parnes, who co-authored the book FIGHT: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House, shared details from election night during an episode of the podcast Somebody’s Gotta Win with Tara Palmeri, released Thursday.

She described a scene inside the campaign where top Democratic figures were unable to immediately grasp the outcome of the election.

“She was completely shocked, and Tim Walz was shocked. He has no words. And people are kind of explaining to him, same thing with her. And she’s like, are you sure? Have we done a recount? Should we do a recount?”

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Parnes explained that Harris and her team had been led to believe they were heading into Election Day with momentum. Reports from inside the campaign suggested that internal data and feedback had given Harris confidence that their ticket would be victorious.

“Kamala Harris was looking at her crowd size, and they felt like the vibe was strong and people were saying, ‘Oh, we have more boots on the ground. We’re doing better in fundraising.’ And she bought all of that. She bought the hype, and so did a lot of people in the campaign.”

Parnes’ account also touched on Walz’s state of mind as results came in on election night. The Minnesota governor reportedly spent the evening in his hotel room, unable to process the loss as campaign aides worked to help both candidates understand the final outcome.

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The book notes that the campaign had been told that things were “looking good” heading into November, which may have contributed to their surprise. Walz later reflected on that night in his first post-election interview.

“It felt like at the rallies, at the things I was going to, the shops I was going in, that the momentum was going our way, and it obviously wasn’t at the end. So yeah, I was a little surprised. I thought we had a positive message, and I thought the country was ready for that..”

While Harris believed momentum was on their side, the book describes a different reality. According to one of Harris’s own advisers, more time wouldn’t have helped the campaign.

“I don’t think we needed more time… We needed more substance. And she did not have more substance.”

A friend of Harris also commented on the campaign’s trajectory in the book, saying, “If Election Day was October first, we might have actually somehow pulled it off. Shorter was actually better, not longer.”

The remarks highlight internal frustrations and post-election analysis from within the Democratic Party, particularly surrounding Harris’s performance on the campaign trail.

Parnes’ account adds to a growing list of reactions and insider commentary following the 2024 election, in which President Donald Trump secured a second non-consecutive term in office. Harris’s questioning of the results contrasts with the Democratic Party’s historical criticism of those who challenge election outcomes.

As FIGHT continues to circulate, additional revelations from within the Harris-Walz campaign are expected to draw continued attention across political circles.

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