Carville says possibility of Fetterman switching parties is ‘real threat’ to Dems’ Senate plans

James Carville and Al Hunt of “Politics War Room” speculated whether Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., may switch parties and throw Democrats’ Senate plans in disarray.

As Carville and Hunt took questions from listeners, one asked why Fetterman, who has been known for taking surprisingly bipartisan stances, doesn’t just go all the way and switch parties.

“I am not a big Fetterman fan,” Carville said, adding he thinks Fetterman is often motivated by wanting to see his name featured in newspapers. 

“He may switch because they are going to correctly say if he wants to run again — I don’t know, but most politicians do — he has no chance in a Democratic primary.

Democratic strategist James Carville and Sen. John Fetterman (Getty Images)

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“If I am the Republicans, I go to Fetterman,” Carville continued. “I said, ‘If you switch your final two years in the Senate, we will give you prime committee assignments. You will be relevant. You will be loved in here.’

“And that’s why I am saying the Democrats need to have a big year in the Senate because picking up four seats may not be enough. That’s a real threat.”

The best scenario, Carville argued, was one where Democrats win enough Senate seats a Fetterman defection would not matter. But a potential Fetterman defection may shake up Democratic plans in a closer victory.

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Fetterman pushed back on Carville’s call to expand the Supreme Court, arguing Democrats should focus on winning more elections instead of altering the court’s structure. (Rebecca Droke/AFP; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Amazon Studios)

Carville went on to argue that three Senate races will reveal whether Democrats are heading for a massive wave or just a narrow win, assuming the party has a “monster year.”

One scenario discussed was Democrats eking out a modest victory, winning just enough seats to control the chamber, in which case every single vote matters. And in that case, the possibility of someone like Fetterman switching parties becomes a real threat that could undermine their majority.

“If you win all three of them, you’re going to probably pick up, you know, eight or 10 seats. If you don’t win any of them, the Fetterman nightmare could come true,” Al Hunt warned.

Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman and did not receive an immediate reply.

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James Carville speaks onstage during the Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid! Q&A at the 27th SCAD Savannah Film Festival in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 31, 2024. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SCAD)

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