James Carville unleashed a profanity-laced tirade on Friday, joining a growing number of Republicans in condemning recent victories by progressive and democratic socialist candidates. In a video for Politicon, the former Democratic strategist lambasted the party's left wing, calling them 'so fucking stupid' and accusing them of undermining the party's chances against Republicans.
Carville Blames Bernie Sanders for Trump's 2016 Victory
Carville specifically targeted Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), labeling him an 'insurgent' figure whose 2016 primary challenge caused the 'most catastrophic event of this century'—Hillary Clinton's loss to Donald Trump. 'How did Trump win? I’ll tell you how, because goddamn Bernie Sanders is the reason that Donald Trump is president. You hear me?' Carville said. He argued that today's 'left-wing idiots' are similarly jeopardizing the Democratic Party's chances in upcoming elections.
However, leaked emails from 2016 revealed that the Clinton campaign had intentionally boosted Trump as part of a 'pied piper' strategy, aiming to elevate far-right candidates to improve her odds. This contradicts Carville's narrative that Sanders alone was responsible for Trump's victory.
Carville Defends the Democratic Establishment
Carville rejected the notion that the Democratic Party is to blame for voters turning to its progressive wing. Instead, he criticized democratic socialists who claim there is little difference between the two 'establishment' parties. He warned voters not to 'fall for the allure of false prophets,' singling out Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for saying the progressive movement doesn't need 'party elites' like Carville. 'It’s not both parties’ fault!' Carville exclaimed.
He contrasted Democratic and Republican achievements, stating, 'One party expanded health insurance, alright? Another party destroyed it. One party balanced the budget and created economic prosperity. The other party destroyed it. One party brought about a deal with Iran’s nuclear program. Another party destroyed it.'
Carville's History and Recent Criticism of the Biden Administration
Carville, who helped elect Bill Clinton in 1992 and advised John Kerry in 2004 and Hillary Clinton in 2016, has a history of strategic missteps. He notably failed to predict the outcome of the 2020 election. In 2024, he urged the Biden administration not to discuss Gaza while providing military support for Israel, a factor many blame for the party's losses. 'I am a proud liberal,' Carville said. 'I am not a leftist. I don’t believe you ought to break the thing up.'
The recent primary winners—democratic socialists Claire Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier, and progressive liberal Brad Lander—have all criticized the Democratic Party while expressing hopes for change. They were backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
