James Carville called Tom Homan a “big bumbling thug,” and the border czar came back swinging.
The longtime Democratic strategist took the shot during a podcast episode this week, complaining about the administration’s immigration crackdown and singling out Homan as the face of it. Carville described him as a “big bumbling thug” who “couldn’t find the border with a map and a flashlight.” Homan didn’t let it slide for long.
“This big bumbling thug would love to hear that loudmouth say it to my face,” Homan told reporters during a stop in Arizona.
The comment drew laughs from the crowd of agents standing behind him, and Homan wasn’t done. He said he had actually met Carville once, years ago, at an event in Washington. “I found him to be an unimpressive little man,” Homan said. “He talked a lot. He didn’t say much.”
The back-and-forth quickly took over social media. Clips of Homan’s response racked up millions of views by the evening, and plenty of conservatives said it was the best comeback they’d seen all year.
Homan, a former ICE director who spent decades in immigration enforcement, has never been known for diplomacy. He started his career as a police officer in New York before joining the Border Patrol in the 1980s. Supporters say that background is exactly why he’s so effective, and why insults from political consultants don’t rattle him.
“Tom has been arresting cartel smugglers since Carville was still figuring out how to get on TV,” said one former border official. “He’s not going to lose sleep over a podcast.”
Carville, for his part, is no stranger to colorful language. The “Ragin’ Cajun,” best known for running Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign, has spent years trashing Republicans on cable news and in interviews. His fans love his bluntness. His critics say he often goes too far.
Some Democrats agreed with his larger point about immigration policy, even if they winced at the wording. Others quietly admitted that picking a fight with Homan probably wasn’t the smartest move.
“You don’t call a guy like that a thug and expect him to just smile,” one Democratic aide said. “That was always going to backfire.” Carville hasn’t responded to Homan’s remarks yet, though people who know him say he’s unlikely to back down. If anything, they expect him to bring it up again on his next show.
Homan says he’s fine with that. When asked whether he’d actually like to meet Carville again, he shrugged. “Anytime,” he said. “I’ll be at the border. He knows where to find me.” We couldn’t agree more.