Democratic strategist James Carville said Tuesday that the Democrats have no identifiable leader as they head toward the next election cycle, a message that highlights an opening for President Donald Trump and Republicans while Democrats wrangle over their direction.
Carville told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that Democrats are operating without a figure who can speak for the party or set a unified course. He said the leadership question will not be resolved until voters choose a presidential nominee in the next primary season.
"No one represents the party," Carville said in the interview with co-host Andrew Ross Sorkin. "The only person that can represent the party is a presidential nominee, who will be chosen by the party members who vote in the primaries."
He said Democrats need to settle both who will lead and "what direction that the party is going on."
He mocked the guessing game over potential standard-bearers. "Well, who's the leader? Well, I don't know. Is it [Senate Minority Leader Chuck] Schumer? No, it's not Schumer. Well, maybe it's this. No, I don't believe that," he said. "Well, there can't be one."
Carville added that Democrats can still win elections even without a recognized leader. He cited recent chatter that the party has lost core constituencies. "Of course, it all came back. And you just got to win elections. But we're not going to have a leader until we have a presidential nominee," he said.
The comments follow a year of internal disputes after former Vice President Kamala Harris lost the 2024 presidential race. Democrats have since debated what went wrong and how to prepare for the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential contest.
Recent state and local elections offered a limited morale boost for Democrats, with strong showings in already Democratic strongholds New Jersey, Virginia, California, and New York City. Democrats in those races centered their messages on affordability even as their policy approaches were scattered at best.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent offered a contrasting view on "Squawk Box."
He told Sorkin that incoming New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is "clearly the leader of the Democratic Party now."
Bessent praised Mamdani for running a "great, great campaign" but also called him "a young man full of bold ideas that have never worked." He questioned whether Mamdani would be able to manage the daily demands of governing. "We'll see," Bessent said.
Some Democrats continue to fault entrenched leadership.
Schumer, D-N.Y., has faced criticism after the party agreed with Republicans to reopen the government without securing commitments on Obamacare extensions. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., last week urged Schumer to step aside for a younger leader.
Voters also show uncertainty about who leads the Democratic Party.
A Politico poll this month reported that 21% of respondents "don't know" who is in charge, followed by 16% naming Harris and 10% selecting "nobody."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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