Carville urges DSA to drop Democratic Party name

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has publicly called on the Democratic Socialists of America to stop using the Democratic Party's name, intensifying a public rift within the left that could shape the 2026 midterm elections. Carville made the remarks during a video conference on August 21, 2026, promoting the "Promise to America" initiative, a moderate Democratic platform backed by Representatives Tom Suozzi of New York and Adam Gray of California.

Carville, a longtime party figure, argued that the DSA's influence is drowning out moderate voices and hurting Democrats in competitive races. "We get subjugated by some of the more outspoken people who, by the way, are not even Democrats," Carville said. "I wish they'd take the word Democrat out of their name. I have no idea why the democratic socialists if you hate the Democratic Party so much, well, then don't use our goddamn name. Go think of your own name!" His comments were reported by multiple outlets, with Fox News airing portions of the conference.

The DSA has responded by asserting its role as a core part of the Democratic coalition. Megan Romer, a national co-chair of the DSA, stated that the group's members...