Carville knocks Democrats for starting 'seventh-string quarterback' Harris
Senior Democratic strategist James Carville on Friday severely criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris, saying the Democratic Party’s decision to nominate her for president was akin to subbing a "seventh-string quarterback" into a "Super Bowl" election.
"You can’t address a problem unless you’re honest about a problem," he said on PBS’s “Firing Line” with Margaret Hoover. “And none of this was inevitable. Never should have happened.”
GOP strategist Mike Murphy also spoke on the show, and both he and Carville agreed former President Biden was to blame for President Trump’s victory, as he did not end his reelection bid soon enough.
Carville added that the country has not had an inspirational presidential candidate since 2012, when President Obama ran for reelection.
Carville noted Biden is often praised by Democrats as a “good man,” but added that this quality does not matter. "If you don’t win the godd‑‑‑ election, you’ve done nothing! Zip, nada. You don’t count," he said.
“And people would have seen that, they would have gone, ‘I didn’t know that people like that, that can actually complete a sentence,'” he said.
Carville argued that the Democratic Party should become aggressive and populist instead of being “nice people.”
"[They think] we've got to be, you know, nice to people," he said. "Screw that! Run over them."
Carville has been critical of the Harris campaign since Democrats’ 2024 election losses.
He had earlier predicted Harris would win against Trump but called the results “very depressing” in a postelection interview with CNN’s Michael Smerconish.
-
Harris-Rogan interview saga reveals only Democrats' incompetence, entitlement
Former Vice President Kamala Harris's team was reportedly sabotaged by Joe Rogan, but the real story is the incompetence and entitlement of the Democratic Party, which has put both its short-term ...The Hill - 6h -
One-quarterback Dynasty Fantasy Football 2025 start up Mock Draft: QBs fall, but Jayden Daniels rises
Start-up mock draft for a one-QB Dynasty Fantasy Football leagueCBS Sports - 5d -
Carville knocks Trump, chides Biden for listening to 'idiot left'
Democratic political strategist James Carville reminds Americans that Trump promised to lower grocery prices.The Hill - 6d -
The Memo: Trump knocks over the guardrails, deepening Democratic panic
President Trump is pressing full steam ahead with an agenda that Democrats worry has an increasingly autocratic bent. But right now, there’s not much they can do about it. News emerged late on ...The Hill - 6d -
Democrats knock Trump for not quickly lowering grocery prices
A group of Democrats on Sunday knocked President Trump for not quickly lowering grocery prices. “We write to ask about your Administration’s plan to lower food prices for American families. ...The Hill - Jan. 27 -
Carville: Democrats need to let Trump ‘punch himself out’
Democratic strategist James Carville said Democrats need to let President Trump “punch himself out.” In remarks on MSNBC on Friday, Carville recalled Muhammad Ali, noting he would go six or seven ...The Hill - Jan. 27 -
Democratic-led states knock ‘vague’ threats to prosecute immigration enforcement noncompliance
Eleven Democratic-led states released a statement criticizing the “vague” threats from the Trump administration about prosecution related to noncompliance with immigration enforcement. The ...The Hill - Jan. 23 -
Carville: Democrats have to focus on issues ‘Republicans can’t beef on’
Democratic strategist James Carville said in a new interview that Democrats need to focus on issues that Republicans “can’t beef on.” Carville joined MSNBC’s Jen Psaki on Sunday to discuss what the ...The Hill - Jan. 6 -
Carville reflects on failed prediction that Harris would defeat Trump: 'Very depressing'
Democratic political strategist James Carville, who has been openly critical of the Harris campaign since Democrats' 2024 election losses, reflected on his failed prediction that Vice President ...The Hill - Jan. 4
More from The Hill
-
Warren presses Treasury secretary over Musk access to payments system
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Monday demanding to know what access Elon Musk was given to the federal payments system and what safeguards were ...The Hill - 45m -
Hegseth, Homan visit Texas to meet troops on border
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touched down in Texas on Monday morning en route to the U.S. border with Mexico, his first trip since taking office. Hegseth, who traveled with White House border ...The Hill - 53m -
Trump is back and dividing us again with crash-related attacks on DEI
President Donald Trump's comments on the midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. were racist and sexist and have been met with widespread ...The Hill - 58m -
Former Biden spokesperson: Trump doesn't want Democrats to talk about promise to lower prices
Former White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Monday that President Trump does not want Democrats to remind voters of his campaign promise to lower prices. “[T]he last thing President Trump ...The Hill - 1h -
Kinzinger to House Dems: 'Get out there and do something' about Musk
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Monday told House Democrats to “get out there and do something” about tech billionaire Elon Musk after employees at the U.S. Agency for International ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Warren presses Treasury secretary over Musk access to payments system
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Monday demanding to know what access Elon Musk was given to the federal payments system and what safeguards were ...The Hill - 45m -
Hegseth, Homan visit Texas to meet troops on border
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touched down in Texas on Monday morning en route to the U.S. border with Mexico, his first trip since taking office. Hegseth, who traveled with White House border ...The Hill - 53m -
Trump is back and dividing us again with crash-related attacks on DEI
President Donald Trump's comments on the midair collision of an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. were racist and sexist and have been met with widespread ...The Hill - 58m -
Former Biden spokesperson: Trump doesn't want Democrats to talk about promise to lower prices
Former White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said Monday that President Trump does not want Democrats to remind voters of his campaign promise to lower prices. “[T]he last thing President Trump ...The Hill - 1h -
Kinzinger to House Dems: 'Get out there and do something' about Musk
Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) on Monday told House Democrats to “get out there and do something” about tech billionaire Elon Musk after employees at the U.S. Agency for International ...The Hill - 1h