Carville: Ilhan Omar Should Leave Democratic Party, Do Her Own Thing

Democratic political strategist James Carville reiterated previous criticism of Ilhan Omar during a recent podcast appearance, again suggesting the progressive lawmaker should consider leaving the Democratic Party.

Carville made the remarks during an interview on Straight Shooter, hosted by Stephen A. Smith. Smith asked Carville about comments he made in May 2025 on his podcast, Politics War Room, in which he sharply criticized Omar, a member of the progressive group of lawmakers often referred to as “the Squad.”

Carville, who made a name for himself as an adviser to then-President Bill Clinton, indicated his views had not changed since the earlier remarks and again questioned Omar’s role within the Democratic Party.

His comments reflect ongoing divisions among Democrats over the party’s ideological direction and the influence of progressive lawmakers in Congress.

“Lady, why don’t you just get out of the Democratic Party,” Carville said about Omar. “Honestly, start your own movement.”

His initial calls for Omar to leave the party were in response to a 2018 interview she gave to Middle East outlet Al Jazeera. Omar, who is married to a white man, falsely said “our country should be more fearful of white men because they’re causing most of the deaths within this country.”

According to 2023 FBI and Justice Department crime statistics, while whites commit the most murders in terms of raw numbers, black males are six times more likely to victimize other blacks.

Carville stated that Omar was a “very, attractive, soft-spoken lady,” he didn’t agree on her attacks on white men, explicitly calling her to “stop.”

“About 33% of the people that are gonna vote are gonna be white males,” Carville said. “Well, it’s stupid to attack 33% of the voters!”

“And so what I would say to Congresswoman Omar, ‘Why don’t you be a Democratic Socialist of America?’ Do what AOC did, and then if they win, the truth of that is, I share a lot of ideological issues in common with Congressman Omar, but maybe you should do like a parliamentary government. We’ll let you in the governing coalition, but not the electoral coalition,” Carville said.

“But we cannot- we have to get this mentality out that we can win national elections [without] White people, because you can’t,” Carville continued. “That we can somehow or another win an election without white males. It’s just insanity. It’s literally mathematical insanity, cultural insanity.”

“All white people are not the same. All black people are not the same. All Hispanic people are not the same, all right? ” Carville added. “And I don’t like generalizing about someone’s gender or their race or their sexual preference or anything else. All gay people are not the same. They’re very different personalities. They’re very different values, very different everything.”

Omar faced backlash after falsely claiming the United States deliberately targets Muslim nations during Ramadan. “Iraq was attacked by the US during Ramadan and it is sickening to know that the US is again going to attack Iran during Ramadan,” Omar wrote on X as tensions escalated ahead of a U.S. strike on Iran.

“The US apparently loves to strike Muslim countries during Ramadan and I am convinced it isn’t what these countries have done to violate international law but about who they worship,” she added.

But critics noted what she said was categorically incorrect. Also, they argued that such rhetoric, delivered during an active military standoff, risks giving adversaries propaganda they can weaponize.

Under the Constitution, treason is narrowly defined as levying war against the United States or adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort. Legal scholars have long noted that the “aid and comfort” standard requires intent and tangible support, not merely controversial speech.

JUST IN :The Democratic Party rejected Schumer's proposal, and together with the Republican Party, helped Trump secure yet another victory.

More than a dozen Democratic senators voted with Republicans to confirm President Donald Trump’s latest nominee. The Senate confirmed David Perdue of Georgia to become Trump’s ambassador to China, an all-important post given the significance of trade and national security issues with the world’s second-largest economy.

The vote was 64-27 in favor of cloture, which requires 60 votes. In 2022, Trump backed Perdue in his attempt to primary incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R), but he wasn’t successful.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is continuing to lose support among one of its key voter blocs, young people, according to a new survey.

This comes as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is still facing swift blowback after his government shutdown efforts blew up in his face last month.

Swing voters in a major battleground state noted in the latest Engagious/Sago focus groups that they were frustrated with Democrats for prolonging the federal government shutdown, only to ultimately end it without securing a commitment from Republicans to address rising health insurance premiums.

Even some voters who supported President Trump last November said they still look to Democrats to safeguard health care affordability and the social safety net for lower-income Americans.

But in this week’s panels, seven of the 13 Biden-to-Trump swing voters in Georgia said Democrats emerged from the shutdown looking worse than Republicans. Two said Republicans looked worse, while four said both parties appeared equally at fault, 

according to Axios.

“They gave in to the Republicans,” Trilya M., 53, of Loganville, said of Democrats. “They did not stand their ground with them, and now it’s going to affect the people that [have] the Affordable Care Act.”

It was for what?” said Christine L., 54, of Peachtree City. “It really does make them look bad.”

“They always project to be a party of the people who they care about, the disenfranchised, the people who are in poverty … but their actions contradict it, they don’t really care,” noted Elijah T, 33, of Conyers.

“Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries beat the heck out of this and wasted 41 days dragging their feet before eight Democrats finally decided enough is enough,” said Brian B., 61, of Norcross.

Rich Thau, President of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups, told Axios: “Democrats gave swing voters — who already hold the party in profoundly low esteem — yet another reason to mistrust them.”