James Carville Blasts DSA as a "Pack of Fools" While Praising AOC's Growth

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville issued a sharp rebuke of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) on Monday, calling members of the group a "pack of fools" and arguing they attract little attention or influence within the party.

Speaking on Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime and at an onstage Q&A during the Carville: Winning Is Everything, Stupid! event at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival on Oct. 31, 2024, Carville dismissed fears that the party is being overtaken by communists or an ascendant far-left faction.

James Carville speaks onstage during the Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid! Q&A at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 31, 2024.

"They're a bunch of silly people," Carville told Watters. "Those DSA people, they are a pack of fools. No one pays attention to them."

Carville also predicted that Democrats would win both chambers of Congress in the upcoming November midterms, and he expressed confidence in the party's depth of talent.

Measured Praise for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

While critical of the DSA, Carville offered praise for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a prominent member of the progressive "Squad" and occasional speculation as a possible 2028 contender. He said she has matured in office since her 2018 election and is "growing into the job."

Members of the Democratic Socialists of America gather outside of a Trump-owned building on May Day on May 1, 2019 in New York City.

"I do think she's very talented. She's certainly to the left of me, but you know what she's doing? What I think good politicians do, she's growing into the job," he told Watters. "She's not the same person she was when she was elected in 2018, and when people change a position from what I think is a more naive position to a more realistic position, I'm going to praise them."

Context Within Democratic Party Debates

Carville's remarks arrive amid an internal Democratic debate over how much influence the progressive flank — including the DSA and high-profile primary winners — should wield as the party prepares for the midterms and the 2028 presidential cycle.

Despite recent progressive victories in primaries and the DSA's efforts to expand its electoral footprint, Carville remained unconcerned. He argued that the party's bench is deep and suggested that the most vociferous progressive voices will not ultimately determine the party's direction.

"There's so much talent in this party people are gonna be blown away after we get past '26 and start running [people]... and the people that we're talking about [progressives] are not going to do anything," he said.