The remarks came as a demoralized Democratic Party played the blame game and stared at a largely powerless future. In dozens of interviews, lawmakers and strategists tried to explain Harris’s defeat, pointing to misinformation, the war in Gaza, a toxic Democratic brand and the party’s approach to transgender issues.

Democrats spent the immediate aftermath of election night on Wednesday looking for answers. In the early hours of what one called a “bloodbath,” they repeatedly questioned how

In interviews, lawmakers and strategists tried to explain Kamala Harris’s defeat, pointing to misinformation, the Gaza war, a toxic Democratic brand and the party’s approach to transgender issues.