Former New York Gov. David Patterson (D) said the Democratic party needs to do a better job "listening" to voters during a Saturday appearance on John Catsimatidis's radio show, "Cats Roundtable" on WABC 770 AM.
"We've got to kind of tear up all the information that we have now and start going out and start listening to the people. Hearing what they're saying, as opposed to lecturing, which I think the party has gotten into too often," Patterson said.
He slammed Vice President Harris's address at Howard University, describing it as a "graduation speech" rather than a concession.
"When she gave her concession speech, which I would've given the same night because all of your people followed you and just literally gave you all their energy to you. She gave it the next afternoon," said Patterson, a former New York Democratic party chair.
"But it didn't even sound like a concession speech. It sounded like a graduation speech at Howard [University] ... Naming topics, like 'we want to solve the problems of tomorrow.' I heard her say that."
Exit pollsters have noted the disconnect.
"I think she's a very intelligent woman. But there's such a communication problem that when she tries to address these issues, it just doesn't register with the public," he added.
Lawmakers like California Gov. Gavin Newsom are preparing for President-elect Trump's second term with new statewide policies and protections.
Trump condemned Newsom's special legislative meeting earlier this week and has leaned on fellow Republicans such as Illinois' former governor JP Pritzker.
Patterson said the commander-in-chief will enter new realms of power for the nation over the next four years. He encouraged Trump to govern "judiciously."
"The president has an immense opportunity because he has the House and Senate presumably behind him, and the Supreme Court. I don't think any president has ever had that kind of power. I hope he uses it judiciously," Patterson said. "If he does, we might just look up in a couple of years and say, 'You know, things really aren't that bad.'"