Ex-Obama advisor Dan Pfeiffer says DNC chief Ken Martin 'should step down' over botched 2024 autopsy

WASHINGTON, DC: Former Barack Obama advisor and ‘Pod Save America’ co-host Dan Pfeiffer said Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin “should step down” after the DNC released an incomplete report on the party’s 2024 election loss, escalating a growing credibility crisis inside the party ahead of the 2028 presidential race.

Martin’s handling of the delayed report has triggered backlash from several prominent Democrats. Critics say the controversy has now become bigger than the report itself. Martin apologized in a statement posted on X, admitting the release had turned into “an even bigger distraction.”

Dan Pfeiffer says Ken Martin 'can’t repair the trust' after botched report

“I think Ken Martin should step down,” Pfeiffer said during the Friday, May 22, episode of his podcast. “I think this is a bridge too far. He can’t repair the trust here. He is not the right person for the job.”

He said Martin became “the distraction that he was trying to avoid” after the DNC released what the chair himself described as an incomplete document with sourcing issues and missing sections.

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Martin defended releasing the report “for full transparency” while acknowledging the fallout over the delay.

“After last November’s massive Democratic wins, I didn’t want to create a distraction, but by not putting the report out, I ended up creating an even bigger distraction,” Martin wrote. “For that, I sincerely apologize.”

But Pfeiffer argued the apology would not solve the larger credibility problem hanging over the DNC as Democrats look toward the next presidential cycle.

“He says in his post, ‘My job is winning elections,’” Pfeiffer said. “Well, the best thing for the Democrats to win elections is to have a fresh start at the DNC.”

He added that the trust issue becomes “so much more” important because “the DNC is going to run the presidential primary” in 2028.

Democrats pile pressure on Ken Martin

Pfeiffer’s co-host Jon Favreau, another former Obama staffer, agreed that the fallout could damage the DNC’s standing with future candidates.

“What he has opened up to now is any candidate who runs for president in 2028 who complains about unfairness at the DNC, whether those accusations are fair or not, accurate or not, no one’s going to believe Ken Martin because he has this credibility issue,” Favreau said.

The pressure on Martin has also spread beyond the podcast world.

Texas Rep Marc Veasey told Semafor that “it’s time for him to move on,” adding to the calls for Martin’s resignation.

David Hogg, the former DNC vice chair and founder of Leaders We Deserve, also blasted the handling of the report and pushed Martin to resign.

“This autopsy, and the months-long debate about even releasing the report, is a demoralizing joke,” Hogg said in a statement. “Ken Martin should resign, and the DNC should select a new leader who demonstrates competence, creativity, moral clarity, and a relentless commitment to actually changing the broken Democratic Party brand.”