James Carville Calls Out CNN Host Accusing Him of ‘Mindset’ Similar to Jan 6 Rioters About Trump: ‘I Am Not a Criminal’

James Carville pushed back on CNN’s Michael Smerconish after being accused of having a “mindset” similar to January 6 Capitol rioters when it comes to President Donald Trump.

Carville joined Smerconish on Saturday where he doubled down on his self-diagnosed “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” declaring he’s “trying” to get worse.

Smerconish had opened his show called out Democrats for what he called a “blindspot” when it comes to the president. The CNN host argued that Senate candidate Graham Platner, who is challenging Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) for her seat, should not be as embraced as he is by prominent Democrats. Smerconish cited Platner’s resurfaced Reddit posts about fellow veterans and a since-covered Nazi-linked tattoo as reasons Democrats should not be welcoming him into the tent.

Smerconish noted his commentary while speaking to Carville, asking him if he believed Platner is part of that “blindspot.”

“I’ll never get a tattoo because I always changed my mind about things. But I think if you ask me, has he said some things that are highly controversial? Yes. But what is the most important thing to do in America? And that is to oppose Trump as vigorously as possible at every level. And the most important tool we have at our disposal is to win elections,” Carville said.

“Okay, to me, respectfully, it’s the same mindset that explains people who breached the Capitol on January 6th. I mean, they were similarly warped in their thinking that it’s all on the line, and therefore no behavior is out of bounds,” Smerconish responded.

Carville pushed back on this multiple times, saying it was “way outside the strike zone.”

“I might have Trump Derangement Syndrome, but I am not a criminal, okay?” he said.

Check out the exchange below:

JAMES CARVILLE: You know, if you think and you believe that it is a perilous situation, you know, I think when you look at the totality, now Graham Platner, you’re right — one thing about a tattoo, if he said something stupid 20 years ago, it’s still with you, it doesn’t go anywhere. I’ll never get a tattoo because I always changed my mind about things. But I think if you ask me, has he said some things that are highly controversial? Yes. But what is the most important thing to do in America? And that is to oppose Trump as vigorously as possible at every level. And the most important tool we have at our disposal is to win elections… Therefore, I don’t know what supersedes that. I just don’t. And I can’t think of anything. I understand what Bruce Springsteen is doing. I understand what these other people are doing. They need to do more of it.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH: Okay, to me, respectfully, it’s the same mindset that explains people who breached the Capitol on January 6th. I mean, they were similarly warped in their thinking that it’s all on the line, and therefore no behavior is out of bounds, and I’m gonna break into the Capitol and I’ll stop the counting of the ballots.

CARVILLE: I completely disagree with the premise. Voting for Graham Platner is not a felony. Breaking into the Capitol is a felony, and when you want to defend the objectivity so much that you’re comparing people voting for a flawed person and assaulting police officers… If you’re calling balls a strike, I’m gonna call this way outside the strike zone.

SMERCONISH: But no, James, James, I think you’re misunderstanding me, it was actually more directed at you. I was really saying, if your objective is to fight Donald Trump and accept anybody who’s on your team in doing so, because the stakes are so high, that’s what reminds me of a January 6th mindset. Respond to that.

CARVILLE: Well, again, I might have Trump Derangement Syndrome, but I am not a criminal, okay? I’ll agree with that and I think my preference is Democrats at every point nominate the most electable person. Richard Thaler, who’s the most influential economist of the 21st century, maybe ever, was asked — he’s a great behavioral economist — so what should the Democrats do? He said they should nominate people who are electable. Sometimes I’d always get my way, alright? But it’s coming up pretty good this year, and I think we’re going to have a good year, but I can’t apologize for that which I profoundly and deeply believe that we are being led by a person who, if not a traitor himself, is doing exactly everything that a trader would do if they got in a job.

Watch above via CNN.

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