Democratic strategist James Carville has predicted that the chaos caused by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could spell disaster for the Republicans in the 2028 election.
While speaking to Chris Cuomo on NewsNation, the former senior adviser to President Bill Clinton said he believes that Musk will be “the greatest generator of Democratic turnout, ever, more than Barack Obama.”
“I understand the gravity of that statement, but if [Musk] keeps going, that’s going to happen,” Carville said in the Monday evening appearance.
Musk, who has been referred to as President Donald Trump’s right-hand man, has come under scrutiny for his mass firing of federal employees as DOGE works to slash government spending by up to $2 trillion annually.
The DOGE head inspired further backlash over the weekend when he threatened federal employees, insisting that they’d be fired if they did not send an email recapping their week’s accomplishments.
Carville predicted that the disorder in the federal government will be Musk’s undoing.
The strategist, who penned a New York Times column Tuesday calling on Democrats to “roll over and play dead” and let Republicans fail, doubled down on urging for “tactical patience” in the party.
“What I am suggesting to Democrats is, don’t have press conferences, don’t yell, don’t scream, don’t throw your hands in the air,” he said.
Fractures within the Republican party are also already appearing. FBI Director Kash Patel and National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, both Trump appointees, have told their employees to ignore Musk’s requests send him a memo about their performance. Civil servants country-wide have sued the Trump administration for Musk’s demands, with lawyers maintaining that the Tesla tycoon violated the law.
Reality may also soon kick in with looming fiscal spending deadline, said Carville. Republicans have until March 14 to come up with a spending deal. Without a resolution, the government will shut down.
Carville also pointed skeptics to the polls, where Trump’s approval rating has already dipped since he took office less than 40 days ago. The poll surveyed over 1,000 self-identified registered voters across the nation. It revealed that 49% of voters disapprove of the way Trump is leading the country, leading Carville to claim that the end is nigh.
“It’s collapsing right now,” Carville said Friday while speaking with Mediaite founder Dan Abrams. “We’re in the midst of a collapse.”
