POLITICS

James Carville rips Democrats for lack of unity, warns party is ‘steamrolling' toward a civil war

July 21st, 2025

Democratic strategist James Carville ripped Democrats for their lack of unity and warned that the party is "steamrolling toward a civilized civil war" in a new essay.

"Constipated. Leaderless. Confused. A cracked-out clown car. Divided," Carville wrote in a Monday guest essay published in The New York Times. "These are the words I hear my fellow Democrats using to describe our party as of late. The truth is they’re not wrong: The Democratic Party is in shambles."

Carville said that New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s win in the city’s primary "represents an undeniable fissure in our political soul."

He pointed to Mamdani’s economic policies, which include government-run grocery stores and plans to tax the top 1% of New Yorkers, admitting that he is concerned that they will actually be able to be executed.

"We are divided along generational lines: Candidates like Mr. Mamdani are impatient for an economic future that folks my age are skeptical can actually be delivered," Carville said.

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"We are divided along ideological lines," he added. "A party that is historically allegiant to the state of Israel is at odds with a growing faction that will not look past the abuses in Palestine. From Medicare for All purists to Affordable Care Act reformists, the list goes on and on."

He said that Democrats must "demand" a repeal of President Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid in the 47th president’s "big, beautiful bill."

The legislation requires able-bodied adults without children to work 80 hours a month, amounting to 20 hours each week, in order to receive Medicaid benefits.

He also said that Democrats must "demand a repeal to end the endless wars, because the bill boosts military spending to $1 trillion for the very first time," as well as help students who are losing loan protections and may no longer be eligible for Pell Grants.

Democrats must also "demand a repeal" of the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Carville said.

"We’ve never had a simpler, more unifying oppositional message," Carville said. "Soon it will no longer be possible to avoid a brawl between the factions ignited back in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. But for now, whether you’re the progressive Mr. Mamdani, the centrist former Rep. Abigail Spanberger running for the Virginia governorship or even Elon Musk, we can all agree on one thing: We demand a repeal. Onward to the midterms."

Curated By

Maya Gupta
Investigative Journalist | Grassroots Movement Organizer | Economy Consultant/Speaker
Maya Gupta writes from the fault lines of a world that refuses to stay quiet. Focused on the collisions between culture, power, and accountability, her work cuts past polished narratives to expose what’s really moving beneath the surface. From the rise of creator-driven influence to athlete activism and grassroots resistance, she tracks the momentum shaping a generation unwilling to wait its turn. Her reporting doesn’t cater to comfort, it confronts it, challenging institutions that lean on legacy instead of legitimacy. With a voice rooted in urgency and a lens tuned to those often ignored, Maya delivers coverage that reflects the stakes as they are, not as they’re packaged. This is journalism that doesn’t just observe change, it stands in the middle of it, documenting the push, the backlash, and the undeniable shift underway.

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