James Carville fired back at Sen. Bernie Sanders
Bernie SandersHouse Democrats pass sweeping .9T COVID-19 relief bill with minimum wage hike House set for tight vote on COVID-19 relief package On The Money: Democrats scramble to save minimum wage hike | Personal incomes rise, inflation stays low after stimulus burst MORE (I-Vt.) for calling him "a political hack," calling the self-described democratic socialist "a communist."

The back and forth follows a week in which Carville has repeatedly sounded the alarm about a potential Sanders match-up against President Trump
Donald TrumpNoem touts South Dakota coronavirus response, knocks lockdowns in CPAC speech On The Trail: Cuomo and Newsom — a story of two embattled governors McCarthy: 'I would bet my house' GOP takes back lower chamber in 2022 MORE in November, calling the scenario "the end of days" for the Democratic Party while referring to Sanders supporters as "a cult."

Sanders returned fire on Wednesday night during an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, arguing that "political hack" Carville represents the establishment his campaign is running against.
"James, in all due respect, is a political hack," Sanders said. "We are taking on Trump, the Republican establishment, Carville and the Democratic establishment. But at the end of the day, the grassroots movement that we are putting together — of young people, of working people, of people of color — want real change."
Carville, who worked as a campaign strategist for former President Clinton, escalated the feud Thursday on Snapchat with former CNN reporter Peter Hamby.
"Last night on CNN, Bernie Sanders called me a political hack,” Carville said. “That’s exactly who the f--- I am! I am a political hack! I am not an ideologue. I am not a purist. He thinks it’s a pejorative. I kind of like it! At least I’m not a communist.”
Trump also recently referred to Sanders as a communist.
"I think he's a communist. I mean, you know, look, I think of communism when I think of Bernie," Trump said in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity

Sanders dismissed Trump's comment a week later in an interview with Chris Wallace
Christopher (Chris) WallaceBill Gates: Goal of eliminating emissions by 2030 'completely unrealistic' Fox News's Chris Wallace praises Biden's discipline Klobuchar: Impeachment trial 'was about not hiding history' MORE on "Fox News Sunday."

"Obviously I am not a communist,” Sanders said, adding that maybe Trump “doesn’t know the difference.”