James Carville urged Democratic lawmakers to shun the new Democratic Socialists entering Congress, with the longtime liberal strategist saying the socialists have bogus ideas that will torpedo the party’s chances with the average American voter.

Carville griped about Democratic Socialist candidates who won primaries in New York City earlier this week during an appearance on Saturday in America on Fox News.

Kayleigh McEnany asked Carville what he thought about Darializa Avila Chevalier, one of the victorious socialists who has called for abolishing ICE, criticized interracial dating, and said the American flag was best used as a napkin. Carville said those ideas are antithetical to the Democratic Party he knows.

“I don’t think that the congressional Democrats should see her as a member of the Democratic Party,” Carville said. “She actually describes herself as a Democratic Socialist. I don’t have anything in common with someone that says that they’re against interracial dating or doesn’t want any incarceration for convicted felons. That’s just not who I think the Democratic Party is.”

He continued, “they ought to let her be a Democratic Socialist. But I don’t think they should — you know, you can’t can kick her out of Congress — but she doesn’t have to be in the Democratic Caucus.”

McEnany noted Chevalier wasn’t the only Democrat who loves socialism, though. She pointed to a 2025 Gallup poll that showed 66% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism — up from 50% in 2020. Only 42% of Dems had a positive view of capitalism in that same poll, down from 51% at the start of the decade.

Carville said a moment later that party leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have to make it clear that most Dems are not down with the DSA agenda — or Chevalier’s dating views.

“I think the Democrats need to stand up and say this is not who we are. We do not determine who you can date or not date. That is your own business,” he said.

Carville continued, “You can date whoever you want. And when you start telling people they can’t date somebody of a different race, a different gender, whatever the hell it is, it’s not my business. It’s never been any of my business, it’s certainly not now. and I just think that’s not why most people are Democrats.”

His interview comes a few days after several socialist candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) won their Democratic primaries.

Two of the candidates — Darializa Avila Chevalier (D) and Claire Valdez (D) — are card-carrying DSA members, just like the mayor. The third candidate is Brad Lander (D), a former member of the DSA who left the organization after its response to the October 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel.

Still, he earned Mamdani’s support by running more critically of Israel than did incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY). Lander has claimed American support for Israel made the USA “complicit in genocide.” 

Beyond their shared socialist beliefs, the three candidates also agree with Mamdani that ICE needs to be abolished.

The socialist wave was celebrated by Mamdani on Tuesday night, but a number of establishment Democrats were unsettled by it. One centrist House Democrat told Axios that 2027 would be a “headache” for the party with them around, while another House Dem reacted to the sweep by saying, “Holy sh*t.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump sardonically congratulated Mamdani on getting “3 solid Communists” elected.

Carville fumed right after the primaries that he was “done” with the Democrats; he also called for a “schism” in the party to separate the old school liberals from the new socialist members.

Watch above via Fox News.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!