Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville has declared that Donald Trump's presidency has already collapsed—just over 80 days into his historic return to the White House.
Carville, 80, who famously helped guide Bill Clinton to victory in 1992 with the mantra "It's the economy, stupid," made the claim during a CNN appearance with host Michael Smerconish. He expressed surprise at what he described as the rapid unraveling of the Trump administration.
"I had no idea. I thought I'd have to wait longer for the imminent collapse. It happened even faster than I could imagine," Carville said in his signature Louisiana drawl.
A longtime political analyst, Carville has observed countless political crises, but he based his latest remarks on a February New York Times op-ed in which he urged Democrats to remain patient and allow the Trump administration to self-destruct.
"Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is retreat on the immediate battlefield and advance in another direction," he wrote. "It won't take long. Public support for this administration will fall through the floorboards. It's already happening."
At the time, Carville’s strategy was met with skepticism, but now he insists his prediction has already materialized.
"This is a glorious opportunity for the Democratic Party to redefine itself," he said. "We're in the gravest crisis the country has faced in 80 years. America has veered off the rails of legality and leadership. We have nincompoops and buffoons running the country."
Carville, now a senior advisor for the liberal Super PAC American Bridge 21st Century, has never hidden his disdain for Trump. However, despite his assertion that the administration is collapsing, polling data tells a different story.
A Gallup poll covering the first three months of 2025 showed Trump’s approval rating at 45%—three points higher than during the same period in 2017. A Fox News poll conducted from March 14 to 17 placed his approval at 49%, with strong support among independents and working-class voters.
Moreover, individual Trump policies are resonating with the public. A CBS News poll last month found that nearly six in ten Americans support his plan to deport illegal immigrants, 54% approve of his handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, and a majority back efforts to cut government spending.
Carville has been wrong before. In an op-ed weeks before the 2024 election, he confidently predicted Kamala Harris would win the presidency, writing, "America, it will all be OK. Ms. Harris will be elected the next President of the United States. Of this, I am certain."
His certainty rested on three factors: Trump’s prior defeat, Harris’s fundraising advantage, and his own "emotional" confidence. But Harris lost in a landslide, with Trump reclaiming key swing states and making unexpected gains among Latino, Black, and union voters.
Carville’s latest proclamation has not gained traction within the Democratic Party, where many strategists are now cautious of overconfidence following last year’s stunning defeat.
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