Democrat insiders are furious over a shocking plan to oust sitting members of Congress.
Now a legendary Clinton strategist just dropped a bomb on the DNC’s youngest leader.
And James Carville called a top Democrat one shocking name as in-fighting and turmoil hit the rudderless Democrat Party.
Carville calls DNC Vice Chair a “contemptible little twerp”
Democrat strategist James Carville just dropped a nuclear bomb on DNC Vice Chair David Hogg.
The legendary political operative who helped Bill Clinton win the White House didn’t mince words when addressing Hogg’s jaw-dropping plan to spend millions primarying sitting Democrats.
“I don’t know if I have standing, but I might give the DNC $10 to sue him,” Carville fumed. “He’s a contemptible little twerp if you ask me.”
Carville’s eight-word takedown – “He’s a contemptible little twerp if you ask me” – sent shockwaves through Democrat circles already reeling from the unprecedented party infighting.
In which James Carville calls DNC Vice Chair David Hogg “a contemptible little twerp” for reportedly supporting efforts to primary sitting Democrats
“I don’t know if I have standing, but I might give the DNC $10 to sue him. He’s a contemptible little twerp if you ask me.” pic.twitter.com/D0TrZT59g0
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) April 17, 2025jj,m
The Ragin’ Cajun’s outburst came after Hogg announced his organization “Leaders We Deserve” would spend a staggering $20 million to primary incumbent Democrats he considers “asleep-at-the-wheel” in safe blue districts.
Democrat strategists appalled by Hogg’s betrayal
What makes Carville and other Democrat strategists so furious is Hogg’s position as a DNC Vice Chair – a leadership role that traditionally requires supporting party candidates, not trying to oust them.
“We, as the DNC, need to be seen as a body that can be trusted, that’s not putting its thumb on the scales,” one DNC member told Politico. “We have to be so strategic and careful with our resources right now. … So why are we in this circular firing squad against Democrats?”
The 24-year-old gun control activist, who rose to prominence after surviving the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, has reportedly told fellow Democrats he’s willing to lose his vice chair position over this fight.
“I’m going to fight to remain in this position because I believe I can serve the party. This was my job when I was elected, this was my job as I was running [for vice chair], and I’m willing to fight to say why I believe both are possible at the same time,” Hogg defiantly told Politico.
Carville’s blistering attack represents the establishment wing of the party that believes Hogg’s actions are sabotaging Democrats’ chances of reclaiming power in Washington.
Party leaders fear primary challenges will doom Democrats’ chances
House Democrats are particularly outraged as they need to flip just a handful of seats to reclaim the majority and provide a check on President Trump’s second term agenda.
“Having someone who serves in an official capacity leading the effort is challenging when at this moment we need to be bringing the party together,” a Democratic House member told Politico, adding that Hogg was “skipping the step” of private conversations Democratic leaders hold about lawmakers’ futures.
The timing couldn’t be worse for Democrats still reeling from Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris last November. Many party leaders had hoped the appetite for internal warfare would decrease after their crushing defeat.
Top leaders at the DNC are “upset and frustrated” by Hogg’s decision because “it’s a real distraction and annoyance, when we should be laser-focused on winning back the House, not distracting press and donor attention on this,” a senior Democratic leadership aide told Politico.
Jay Jacobs, chair of the New York Democratic Party, warned that “engaging in an aggressive, internal type of purging of incumbents that you disagree with is counterproductive to the mission of the DNC.”
Carville represents growing fury among Democrat veterans
Carville’s harsh assessment of Hogg reflects the growing fury among veteran Democrat strategists who believe the party must focus on appealing to swing voters rather than moving further left.
The “contemptible little twerp” comment will likely escalate tensions between the party’s establishment wing and progressives who support Hogg’s effort to challenge incumbents they view as ineffective.
“It’s another distraction from what we really need to be doing, which is we need to be laying out a platform,” one Democratic member told Politico. “The American people want us to address the concerns they have in their lives. Fighting amongst ourselves is not the answer.”
The member added: “I’m all for getting rid of a bunch of old ineffective people, but not by running a bunch of lefty campaigns against them.”
Sam Cornale, who served as the DNC’s chief executive last cycle, didn’t hold back: “It took years to rebuild the DNC’s credibility in the aftermath of 2016, so to have a party officer disregard the importance of being able to call balls and strikes is deeply disappointing.”
Carville’s scorching rebuke comes as Democrats face their biggest internal crisis since former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNC vice chair in 2016 to endorse Bernie Sanders. That move contributed to years of distrust within the party that helped pave the way for Trump’s first victory.
Former interim DNC chair Donna Brazile revealed she called Hogg after his announcement, warning him: “I told him he’s throwing a rock in the water.”
With Carville’s brutal eight-word takedown, that rock just created a tidal wave that threatens to drown Democrats’ hopes of unity heading into the 2026 midterms.
