Politics War Room with James Carville & Al Hunt

How Democrats Lost America with Josh Dawsey

·1 hr 11 min·5 clips

Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Dawsey reveals how Biden's inner circle kept him in the dark about his doomed 2024 campaign.

The episode opens with hosts James Carville and Al Hunt introducing guest Josh Dawsey, a Wall Street Journal political investigative reporter and co-author of a book on the 2024 election. They begin with a fiery critique of a recently enacted Republican bill, citing Larry Summers' New York Times essay and highlighting provisions like massive border security funding and hidden changes to gambling loss deductions. Carville and Hunt condemn the legislative process as sloppy and negligent, with senators like Chuck Grassley claiming ignorance. They then pivot to a Texas flash flood tragedy, with Carville arguing it resulted from a local 'theory' of limited government that rejected warning sirens and zoning. The main interview segment features Dawsey discussing his book's findings on the 2024 Democratic loss. He details how Biden's top aides, like Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, created an insular environment, blocking bad news and dissent after Biden's poor debate performance. Dawsey reveals that aides even tried to communicate with Biden via 'Morning Joe' because they couldn't get through directly. The conversation covers Kamala Harris's campaign mistakes, including her refusal to distance herself from Biden and her selection of Tim Walz over Josh Shapiro as running mate. Dawsey notes Trump's team was 'thrilled' by the Walz pick. The hosts and guest explore the role of Hunter Biden in the president's life, with Dawsey sharing that Hunter joined official White House calls and Biden wanted to testify at his son's trial. They discuss whether Biden's cognitive decline led to poor policy decisions, with Dawsey stating the book found no evidence of that. The episode includes listener questions on topics like reliable polls, the impact of Elon Musk's new political party, and Democratic strategy focusing on the Republican bill. Carville emphatically argues Democrats should talk about nothing else until the 2026 midterms. The show closes with promotions for sponsors and a call for listener votes on the worst Trump appointees.

As heard by us

A sharp argument over whether Democrats still had room to change the 2024 race.

Josh Dawsey joins James Carville and Al Hunt for a focused look at the Democratic Party's 2024 loss, centered on what might still have been possible after Biden left the race on July 21.

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Why you'd press play

If you still wonder whether Democrats had one last chance after Biden got out, press play for the argument.

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