Democratic strategist James Carville is blasting former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for questioning whether President Joe Biden should have run for reelection—saying the time for honest reflection was last year, not now.
Responding to Buttigieg’s recent comments that “most people would agree” it would’ve been better if Biden hadn’t sought a second term, Carville didn’t hold back.
“Well, f—, say something when it meant something,” Carville said on his Politics War Room podcast. “But now in retrospect, everybody’s, oh, well, s—, we should have known.”
Buttigieg’s remarks came as Democrats continue to analyze what went wrong after Biden’s reelection bid ended in July 2024. The president exited the race following a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump that raised widespread concerns over his mental acuity.
At the time, prominent Democrats—including Buttigieg—publicly stood by Biden and dismissed criticism of his mental fitness.
Carville’s frustration was fueled further by recently leaked audio from Biden’s 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur. The recording captured Biden struggling to recall basic information, including key dates and details about his son’s death, further amplifying scrutiny of the president’s capacity to serve.
Carville’s message was clear: Democrats who now express regret over Biden’s candidacy should have spoken up when their voices could have changed the outcome.