Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

‘Real Unease In The Party’: James Carville Says Not To ‘Discount’ Possibility Biden Won’t Be Dem Candidate

U.S. President Joe Biden holds a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combatant Commanders in the Cabinet Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 15, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Democratic strategist James Carville said there is apprehension in the party and that people should not disregard the possibility that President Joe Biden will not be a presidential candidate by the election.

Former President Donald Trump is beating Biden in the five critical swing states of Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to a May New York Times/Siena College survey. Carville said on the “Politics War Room” podcast that there is a chance Biden will not be the Democrats’ nominee in response to a question about whether the president should exit the race if he does poorly in his upcoming debate with Trump, and as he continues to struggle in swing state polls.

“I got to tell you, there’s, I don’t say panic, but there is real, real unease in the party,” Carville said. “And you know, sometimes you go years with nothing happening, and then you go weeks with everything happening.”

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“It’s politics. Anything can happen. Don’t discount it,” he added, although he agreed with co-host Al Hunt that Biden most likely will be the candidate.

Biden proposed two presidential debates with Trump, suggesting a slew of guardrails such as no live audience and having microphones turned off when it is not the candidate’s turn to speak. Trump consented to both debates, the first of which is slated for June.

Pollster Nate Silver recently called for Biden to contemplate withdrawing from the race if it seems like he will likely lose the election by August, which is when the Democratic National Convention is slated to occur in Chicago.

“If Biden is still struggling in August he needs to consider stepping aside,” Silver posted on X. “It’s not a great situation for Ds either way, but you have to do due diligence on the question. It’s an important election, obviously. It shouldn’t be taboo to talk about.”

The pollster also recently said it’s a “bad sign” Biden only wants to do two debates.

“Usually when you are behind in an election, and Biden is behind right now in the large majority of swing state polls, you want more uncertainty,” Silver said. “You want more variance. Meaning that you should want more debates because they add more volatility to the election. And instead, Biden wants fewer. That to me is a really, really, really, really bad sign for his campaign.”

Trump’s advantage against Biden expands among likely voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and North Carolina when independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other third-party candidates are included on the ballot, according to a recent pollby The Cook Political Report/BSG/GS Strategy Group.