Veteran Democratic political strategist James Carville pushed back against claims that President Donald Trump scored a major political victory Tuesday night, despite Trump-backed candidates winning Republican runoff primaries in South Carolina and Oklahoma.
Carville addressed the results Wednesday on his “Politics War Room” podcast, saying he was confused by attempts to portray the two close contests as a commanding win for the president.
Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., secured the Republican nomination in her primary, while Mike Mazzei narrowly won the GOP gubernatorial contest in Oklahoma.
Carville argued that the margins in both races should be viewed as warning signs for Trump rather than evidence of his continued strength among Republican voters.
“In my opinion, this is a terrible night for Trump,” Carville said. “He barely got above 50 in Republican primaries in South Carolina and Oklahoma.”
Carville noted that commentators nevertheless presented the results as a significant victory for Trump.
“They played it as a big Trump win,” he said. “I don’t understand it.”
The longtime strategist suggested the close outcomes could reveal growing cracks within Trump’s MAGA coalition. He also singled out The New York Times and reporter Peter Baker over their interpretation of the election results.
Carville pointed to the South Carolina contest, where Graham received 52.5% of the vote. He noted that her opponent secured nearly half the vote and drew enthusiastic cheers from the crowd after criticizing Trump.
“Man, when you get 50.5 in a Republican primary in South Carolina, and then the guy that got 49 and a half attacks you and the crowd breaks out wildly cheering,” Carville said.
He offered a similar assessment of the result in Oklahoma, describing it as one of the most Republican states while emphasizing that Mazzei barely crossed the 50% threshold.
Carville mocked the idea that the results demonstrated Trump had once again overcome a political challenge and emerged victorious.
“We’re told by all of the people, this was a, you know, Trump rolls again, the rolling Trump,” he said. “He comes up and he lands on his feet. I don’t buy it.”
Carville said his interpretation of the two races was dramatically different from the account offered by Baker and The Times. While he said he can ordinarily understand where their political analysis comes from, he could not make sense of their take on these primaries.
“I have no idea where this take on this election came from,” Carville said.
Graham entered the Senate earlier this year following the death of her brother, Sen. Lindsey Graham. She was sworn in to complete his term before winning Tuesday’s Republican primary with 52.5% of the vote.
Mazzei, meanwhile, won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Oklahoma with slightly more than 50%.
Despite both Trump-endorsed candidates prevailing, Carville maintained that their narrow victories amounted to a poor night for the president.
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