Carville says Trump made ‘big mistake’ by accepting debate

Democratic strategist James Carville said he thinks former President Trump made a “big mistake” by agreeing to debate Vice President Harris and predicted the Democratic nominee will do “quite well” Tuesday night.

“I hate to say this, because you’re not supposed to say it: I think Trump is walking into a giant trap,” Carville said in a Monday interview with NBC News’s Hallie Jackson. “I think she’s well-prepared. She’s been in Pittsburgh. She’s got really top people preparing her.”

Carville added that expectations are lower now for Harris after President Biden’s “horrible” debate in June, adding, “It wasn’t that Trump did great. It was that that Biden didn’t do very well at all.”

“I could be eating my words on Wednesday, but I think she’s going to do quite well,” Carville said. “And I think he made a big mistake by accepting this debate.”

Carville said the Tuesday night debate will be “very critical” for the American public to get to know Harris and her policies, in a separate interview Monday on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live.”

“I think it’s a lot about Vice President Harris,” Carville said, regarding the debate. “I think Trump is a totally known entity. I think tomorrow night is very critical.”

He reiterated his optimism about Harris’s performance, saying Trump should be ready, “because she’s coming after him.”

“I think she’s coming with her A game. And I don’t know what’s going on in Trump world, but he better tighten his chin strap because she’s coming after him. And she’s gonna explain herself,” Carville said. “And I think she’ll, she’ll do quite well. I’m hearing good things out of Pittsburgh.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign for a response.

The interviews come ahead of the high-stakes debate Tuesday night, when the candidates will face off for the first and, perhaps, only time during this election cycle. The campaigns have not agreed to any additional debates, though both have left the door open.

The debate will be hosted by ABC News and simulcast on other networks, including on NewsNation, at 9 p.m. EDT.

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill.