Democratic strategist James Carville expressed serious concerns about Kamala Harris’s campaign strategy on Wednesday, urging her to take a more aggressive approach as the election draws near.

Democratic strategist James Carville gives a speech on Friday, June 17, 2022, during Big Dem Weekend at Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis
James Carville Mb 08

Speaking with MSNBC’s Ari Melber, Carville said he is “scared to death” about the upcoming election and believes Harris needs to sharpen her messaging quickly.

“The only thing I feel is the election is coming Nov. 5th. I’m scared to death,” Carville told Melber. “I’m very, very concerned.”

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Carville emphasized that Harris has only a limited window—about 20 days—to make an impact before Hurricane Milton dominates news coverage.

He argued that the vice president’s campaign needs to change its approach, calling for a shift from simply responding to questions in interviews to taking control of the narrative.

“They need to be sharp. They need to be aggressive. They need to stop answering questions and start asking questions,” Carville said. “They’re doing all this sitting down with 60 Minutes and Colbert — no matter what, if I come on your show, you will ask me the questions. If I have a press conference, I get to ask the questions.”

When Melber asked if he wanted to see Harris hold more press conferences, Carville agreed, saying she needs more events where she can steer the conversation.

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He also encouraged Harris to go on the offensive against the Trump-Vance campaign, particularly around health care.

“Where she’s out saying, ‘What is JD Vance talking about that Trump saved ObamaCare? He tried to destroy it at every point.’ I would put President Obama out to make that. He only has a 92% approval with Democrats. He is only the author, the father, of 23 million people having insurance,” Carville said, referencing the Affordable Care Act.


Former President Obama is expected to campaign for Harris in Pennsylvania on Thursday, a move that Carville hopes will help boost her campaign.

Carville also voiced frustration that Harris and her campaign have not been countering the messaging from the Trump-Vance camp effectively.

He criticized the campaign for being too passive and urged Harris to be more proactive in the coming weeks.

“I think she and the whole campaign need to be much more aggressive and much less passive than they are,” he said.

Harris has yet to hold a formal press conference in the 81 days since becoming the Democratic nominee following Joe Biden’s exit from the race.

Carville, during his “Politics War Room” podcast last week, pressed Harris to take a stronger stance against the Republican ticket, particularly over claims made about health care.

Carville called JD Vance’s comments on Trump “saving” ObamaCare “an out-and-out lie” and repeatedly questioned why Harris wasn’t addressing it directly. “Why isn’t Harris herself out today talking about that?” Carville said on his podcast. “Get off your a–. Move, move, move!”

With just weeks remaining before Election Day, Carville’s remarks highlight growing concerns among Democrats about the direction of Harris’s campaign and the need for a more assertive strategy to counter the momentum of the Trump-Vance ticket.