Carville says Kamala Harris didn't give a reason to vote for her, has to be 'a lot better candidate' in 2028

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville spoke candidly about his botched prediction that then-Vice President Kamala Harris would win the 2024 presidential election.

In the final weeks of the election cycle, Carville made the media rounds expressing confidence that Democrats would keep President Donald Trump out of the White House, even penning an op-ed in The New York Times titled "Three Reasons I’m Certain Kamala Harris Will Win."

"The polls looked even, alright? I thought that Harris had more money. She also had more storefront locations, she had more doorknockers, definitely had better surrogates with two ex-presidents out there. Trump was going around with Scott Baio or something…. And I thought a combination of all of that would be worth a point and a half. It was not," Carville told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

Coincidentally, Trump ended up winning the popular vote by a point and a half over Harris and ultimately won the presidency with 312 electoral votes. 

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Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville reflected on his botched prediction that then-Vice President Kamala Harris would win the 2024 election in an interview with Fox News Digital.  (Screenshot/HBO)

"You relearn the oldest lesson in politics. The greatest motivator of turnout, of voting, of persuasion is a reason. If you don't have a reason, you can't [win]," Carville said. "People had a reason to vote for Trump. The one reason that they were looking for, I should have taken this into more account, was people wanted some change."

Carville recalled Harris' now-infamous appearance on "The View" when she was asked what he called the "money question:" What would she have done differently from President Joe Biden? She responded, "There is not a thing that comes to mind."

"She completely flubs it," Carville said. "Well, 70% of people, we'll have time to argue whether they were right or wrong, 70% of people want something different. Well, give it to them!… [Say] anything you want other than 'I can't think of anything.' Worse answer ever given. Ever given."

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Carville declared then-Vice President Kamala Harris delivered the "worst answer ever given" when she said, "There is not a thing that comes to mind" about what she would change from the Biden presidency.  (Screenshot/ABC News)

Since her defeat against Trump, Harris has already been generating buzz for a 2028 run as early polls show her dominating a field of potential Democratic rivals (though name recognition is likely a strong factor). Some have also floated her as a leading Democratic contender in California's gubernatorial election in 2026 after its current governor, Gavin Newsom, leaves office. 

When asked whether Harris should either run for governor in 2026 or president again in 2028, Carville refrained from taking a strong position. 

"I don't propose that somebody should or shouldn't run for office," Carville said. "If she runs for president again, she's got to be a lot better candidate than she was in 2024. Maybe she is."

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The former Clinton operative remained convinced Harris would have been "a much better candidate" had Democrats held an open primary following Biden's abrupt exit from the 2024 race, swiping those like CNN commentator Bakari Sellars for talking down such an idea, something Carville suggested was a regrettable decision by his party.

But when asked if it were up to him if he'd like to see Harris run again, he again didn't take a firm stance. 

"Well, I mean, first of all, I think everybody should run," Carville said. "I have a lot of friends. I would say you should run. You know, the more, the merrier, I think. And look, she's a former vice president. She's a former prosecutor in a big city, apparently very good at it. She's a former state attorney general. So, you know, to the vice president's impressive resume, I mean, who am I to say? But she certainly passes anything you say about who could run for president. She would have to think about it, but it would be very, very difficult for her to win the nomination, but it would be difficult for anybody else."

Carville insisted former Vice President Kamala Harris would have been a "much better candidate" had Democrats held an open primary for her to compete in following President Biden's exit from the race. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Carville admitted, "I was wrong," in 2024 and his prediction was a "mistake," stressing to Democrats that it's okay to acknowledge when they are at fault.

"The public will never care if you're wrong. When they'll turn on you is when you're boring or predictable. That's what they don't like," Carville told Fox News Digital. "If you don't say something in a colorful way that sticks with people, you know what you're saying? It's vapid stuff. And I think the public is just tired of talking points. They're just worn out."

Fox News' Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and on Twitter: @JosephWulfsohn.