Former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly mocked Democratic strategist James Carville on Wednesday for worrying President Donald Trump might try to rig the 2026 midterm elections by declaring martial law.
Carville, appearing on “CUOMO,” said he expects Democrats to win the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races in a landslide this November. He argued that a resounding Democratic victory could provoke Trump into declaring a “national emergency” to meddle in the midterms — a take O’Reilly seemed to find absurd.
WATCH:
“I think he’s going to see that this ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ is about 25 points underwater. It’s going to be 30 points underwater. He’s going to see a massive defeat coming and he’s going to try to do anything he can to extricate himself in that defeat,” Carville said. “And I would not put it at all past him to try to call martial law or declare that there’s some kind of national emergency in the country or anything like that. Because the hoof prints are coming and you can hear them. And they’re going to get a shellacking in November of 2026.”
O’Reilly responded by joking that Carville’s scenario was so extreme that he would immediately flee the country.
“After hearing Carville, I’m buying a condo in Luxembourg tomorrow. I’m getting out. Martial law? My God! You’re going to have tanks in my driveway? Awww, ohh, oh!” O’Reilly said. “No, I don’t believe that will happen. I’m willing to bet James 18 muffalettas that there will not be martial law. I’ll throw in some crawfish and whatever else he wants.”
He suggested Carville’s remarks were “a scare tactic” and that the economy would determine the result of the midterm elections.
“I’m not worried about cheating or anything else. I think that the economy will dictate who wins in the midterms. And if the big bill gets passed, people will have more money in their pockets,” O’Reilly said. “They won’t have to worry. Small business will hire more because they won’t have to worry about higher taxes. The rich, the fabulous rich will spend more, buy more luxury items.”
Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” is currently stalled in the House after a cluster of House Republicans banded together on Wednesday to bar the chamber from promptly taking up the measure. The Senate approved the bill on Tuesday as senators voted 51 to 50, with Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine opposing Trump’s broad domestic policy legislation.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].
