Veteran political strategist James Carville weighed in on how Democrats should frame their messaging after President Trump drew controversy after Qatar’s royal family offered him a luxury jet to replace Air Force One.
Carville, in his remarks during an appearance on NewsNation’s “CUOMO” Tuesday, urged lawmakers to “jump on this corruption and never get off of it.”
Trump is “taking a $400 million jet for lifetime use from a foreign government,” he told host Chris Cuomo. “He’s selling places at a White House dinner for people that buy his meme coin, which goes right into his pocket. And that’s what the tragedy is.”
The pundit added, “That’s what Democrats need to do. They need to jump on this corruption and never get off of it.”
Democrats on Capitol Hill have signaled their willingness to put pressure on the administration and the president over the president’s anticipated acceptance of the $400 million plane from the Qatari royal family, arguing it is an example of corruption.
“It feeds a corruption narrative about this administration, and it feeds a second narrative: Trump gets a gift of a plane at the same time he’s telling little kids they have to carve their Christmas gifts down,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill this week.
The plane would be received by the Defense Department and would temporarily replace Air Force One, which has been in use for over three decades.
Carville, the ex-senior adviser to former President Clinton, also advised Democratic Party politicians to hammer the GOP over the House Republicans’ bill that seeks significant cuts to social programs, such as Medicaid.
“If they want to do something they have right now, the proposal they have, according to the [Congressional Budget Office], is going to knock 8.6 million people off of health insurance,” he said.
“This is why, while he’s having dinner at the White House, rewarding people who are giving him money, taking airplanes, knocking 8. 6 million people off of health insurance — if the Democrats can’t message against that, then they ought to just blow themselves up,” the strategist added. “But I think they can.”
Cuomo seemingly disagreed with Carville’s advice, arguing that taking that road would do little to push them forward as Democrats face low approval ratings.
“I don’t think it gets them where they want to be,” he said.
