Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

James Carville Says He’d ‘Bet A Lot Of Money’ That Democrats Will Pack Supreme Court If They Regain Power

(Screenshot/YouTube/Politicon)

Democratic strategist James Carville said on “Politics War Room” Thursday that he was confident his party would regain power in 2028 and increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court.

Carville previously said in a May Politicon YouTube video that the Democrats “may have to expand the Court to 13 members” if they secure unified control of the federal government in 2028. In the Thursday episode of his podcast, he addressed his comments to the conservative justices on the Court and described that outcome as an inevitability.

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“I’m going to tell you what’s going to happen. A Democrat is going to be elected in 2028. You know that. I know that. There’s going to be a Democratic House … a Democratic Senate,” Carville said. “The Democratic president is going to announce a special transition advisory committee on the reform of the Supreme Court … He’s going to appoint a blue-ribbon [panel] … and they’re going to recommend that the number of Supreme Court justices go from nine to thirteen.”

“That’s going to happen, people. That’s going to happen to you. They’re going to win. They’re going to do some blue-ribbon panel of distinguished jurists, and they are going to recommend thirteen. And a Democratic Senate and House are going to pass it,” he added. “And the Democratic president is going to sign it — because they have to do an intervention so we can have a Supreme Court that the American people trust again. So just keep that in the back of your mind. And I would bet a lot of money that that’s what’s going to happen. A lot!”

President Donald Trump has pushed his party to abolish the filibuster, but Senate Republicans have expressed opposition. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Wednesday that Senate Republicans were worried Democrats would “pack the Supreme Court, allow for abortion on demand and federalizing elections” if the filibuster was eliminated and they regained power.

Just 29% of Americans support increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, according to a 2024 poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. However, that has not stopped other Democrats, including former Attorney General Eric Holder and Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, from pushing the idea.

Democrats have lamented Supreme Court rulings on abortion, nationwide injunctions, the Second Amendment and limits on child sex changes in recent years.

Former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris repeatedly declined to answer whether they would expand the Supreme Court during their 2020 campaign. However, Biden ultimately did not support the packing of the court during his presidency.