James Carville accuses Trump of using Venezuela raid to distract from Epstein fallout: 'Wake up!'

James Carville argued that the Venezuela operation was meant to distract from Epstein files and looming health care costs
PUBLISHED JAN 4, 2026
James Carville claimed in his 'Politics War Room' podcast that President Donald Trump used Venezuela to shift focus from Epstein-related scandals and public scrutiny (Politicon/YouTube)
James Carville claimed in his 'Politics War Room' podcast that President Donald Trump used Venezuela to shift focus from Epstein-related scandals and public scrutiny (Politicon/YouTube)


NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville discussed the Trump administration’s decision to strike Venezuela and capture Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, on Saturday, January 3. 

Carville believed that Donald Trump was misleading the nation by claiming that he wanted to rid the nation of harmful illegal substances and punish those who were killing Americans by supplying such substances.

The democrat argued that the “real reason” behind the strike was to distract the public from other important issues, such as the Epstein files.  

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - DECEMBER 11: James Carville attends the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson Of The Year Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 11, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)
James Carville attends the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson Of The Year Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on December 11, 2018, in Beverly Hills, California (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images)

James Carville calls Venezuelan strike a 'diversionary tactic'

The veteran democratic strategist commented on the US military strike against Venezuela on the latest episode of 'Politics War Room'.

He questioned the Trump administration’s decision to raid Venezuela and said that while he was watching the continuous coverage, he wondered what was wrong with “people” for not questioning the strike.

Carville questioned whether people wondered what Trump’s objective was, claiming that they already knew the answer.

Donald Trump, his wife Melania Trump, and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime partner Ghislaine Maxwell (Getty Images)
Donald Trump, his wife, Melania Trump, and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and his longtime partner, Ghislaine Maxwell (Getty Images)

“It’s Jeffrey Epstein,” he added. 

Carville argued that the Trump administration was getting ready to file “millions of documents.” The strategist added that there were other issues that the government was attempting to bury under the rug.

“The health care subsidies. People getting the bill. They’re going out of his mind — in his reptilian survival way,” he added.

The strategist chimed in on the Republicans’ reaction to the strike, saying that they treated it like it was legitimate. He also commented on the “chin scratchers” reaction, seemingly talking about other Democrats.

U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductor chips, plans to invest $100 billion in new manufacturing facilities in the United States. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 3, 2025, in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Referring to some representatives criticizing the lack of Congressional approval for the Venezuela strike, and them wanting to address it in the Supreme Court, Carville called them “crazy.” 

He urged people to "wake up" if they thought anything about what Trump did in Venezuela was “remotely legit.”

“This is in furtherance of some foreign policy aim, or some aim of American interests, come on, please,” he said.

He added that people needed to think beyond what they were able to see and called the Venezuelan strike a “giant diversionary tactic.”

CARACAS, VENEZUELA - JULY 5: President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro arrives for the military parade as part of 214th anniversary of Venezuela's independence celebrations on July 5, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela. (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro arrives for the military parade as part of the 214th anniversary of Venezuela's independence celebrations on July 5, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

James Carville slams Trump for capturing Nicolas Maduro 

In the clip, James Carville accused the president of not thinking the situation through, noting that he hadn’t considered the possible consequences of the strike and the capture of Nicolas Maduro. 

He further called Donald Trump out for criticizing Vladimir Putin for trying to “illegally” invade Ukraine.

“Well, our case got a little bit weaker now, didn’t it?”

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Katy Perry shared a series of Instagram posts urging Americans to oppose additional ICE funding, saying it was time to 'turn anger into action'
11 minutes ago
Footage from the minute leading up to Alex Pretti’s death appeared to challenge parts of the Department of Homeland Security’s narrative
29 minutes ago
An official said Gregory Bovino’s transfer was mutual after his and Kristi Noem’s handling of Alex Pretti’s death frustrated the Trump administration
51 minutes ago
Brian O’Hara criticized Greg Bovino’s approach, noting that he had been moving around the city with a caravan and 'shaking things up'
1 hour ago
The guardsmen appeared a day after a Border Patrol agent shot and killed Alex J Pretti
1 hour ago
Videos showed dozens of masked protesters chanting, banging on hotel windows with shovels, and throwing objects at police officers in riot gear
1 hour ago
A Bombardier Challenger 600 jet crashed during takeoff at Bangor International Airport, killing six people
2 hours ago
The DHS said an agent shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti in self-defense after he 'violently resisted' efforts to disarm him during a law enforcement action
3 hours ago
Karoline Leavitt distanced Donald Trump from senior officials’ comments after federal authorities shot and killed Alex Pretti during an ICE operation
5 hours ago
Minnesota sought a restraining order, arguing 3,000 federal agents marked an overreach violating state rights and constitutional protections
11 hours ago