Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign team never expected to see her leading in the polls against President-elect Donald Trump, according to a senior adviser. In fact, when public polls showed her ahead late in the race, they were just as shocked as everyone else.
David Plouffe, a key adviser to Harris’ campaign, opened up about their internal numbers during an interview on the “Pod Save America” podcast. “We were behind. Those public polls showing us in the lead caught us off guard because our own data never reflected that,” he admitted.
Earlier this month, Harris lost decisively to Trump, who not only swept all seven battleground states but also became the first Republican to win both the Electoral College and the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004. Trump, now 78, left little room for doubt in his victory.
Plouffe, alongside other top campaign staffers like Stefanie Cutter, Jen O’Malley Dillon, and Quentin Fulks, spoke candidly about the challenges they faced during the campaign. This was their first in-depth interview since the election loss.
“When Kamala became the nominee, we were already behind,” Plouffe said. “We worked hard to close the gap, and while we made some progress, even after the debates, we were still trailing in the battleground states.”
Plouffe, who previously managed Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign, explained that their strategy was heavily influenced by broader political dynamics. They paid close attention to polls measuring voter sentiment, particularly how many Americans felt the country was on the wrong track. Biden’s low approval ratings and widespread dissatisfaction with the economy made things even tougher.
“We were operating in a tough political environment,” Plouffe said. “The fact that we even brought it to a dead heat at times was an accomplishment.”
One of their major efforts was to highlight the potential risks of another Trump presidency. The campaign focused on Trump’s ties to Project 2025, a conservative plan for reshaping government that stirred plenty of controversy. Plouffe joked about the unpopularity of the plan, saying, “Project 2025 ended up being about as popular as the Ebola virus. We called it out for what it was, and now Trump is hiring all the people who were behind it.”
After Biden dropped out of the race in July, Harris faced the uphill battle of stepping out from his shadow and defining her own vision. Stefanie Cutter, a senior adviser on the campaign, shared how difficult it was to separate Harris from the Biden administration’s record, which many voters viewed negatively.
“We knew we had to present Kamala as her own person and focus on the future,” Cutter explained. “But it wasn’t easy, because she felt loyal to the administration she was part of.”
Harris resisted calls to criticize Biden’s presidency, a move some thought could help her appeal to a broader audience. Cutter said Harris wasn’t willing to point fingers or cherry-pick decisions she might have handled differently.
“She didn’t see the value in that. Kamala felt it was important to stand by President Biden, who she deeply respected,” Cutter said. “The most she was willing to say was, ‘Vice presidents don’t break with their presidents.’ And honestly, that’s true—except for when Mike Pence distanced himself from Trump after the Capitol riots.”
Looking back, the team acknowledges the challenges they faced. They entered the race late, fought uphill against tough political realities, and struggled to define Harris in a way that connected with voters. While the loss stung, the team says they’re proud of the campaign they ran, even if the odds weren’t in their favor.
