Speaking during the Sunday, October 13 broadcast of CNN’s “State of the Union,” Democratic Congressman from South Carolina Representative James Clyburn freaked out about the news and general sense of things that African-American men are leaning toward former President Donald Trump and away from the Democrats, particularly Vice President Kamala Harris.
During the interview, Rep. Clyburn and CNN host Dana Bash spoke particularly about Trump making his pitch to black voters, particularly black men, as the campaign enters its final stages. Particularly, he is making that pitch in swing states where African-Americans make up a large percentage of the Democratic coalition, and thus where a few defectors can wreak havoc on their election plans.
Introducing that subject, the “State of the Union” host Dana Bash said, “You just heard Donald Trump making his appeal to black men quite explicit.” your friend, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who you campaigned with in Michigan says that the message she’s hearing from black man is quote, ‘Democrats take us for granted, Donald Trump talks to us directly.’ Are you concerned about black men voting for Donald Trump or staying home?”
Responding, Rep. Clyburn explained that he is getting increasingly concerned about black men deciding that they don’t really want to vote for the Democrats and Kamala Harris, and will instead stay at home and avoid voting, or really cross the Rubicon and vote for former Presiden Trump. He said, “Yes, I am concerned about black men staying home or voting for Trump.”
Continuing, he explained that he has still been doing his best to campaign for the Democratic ticket, saying, “But my concerns don’t tend to keep me from being energetic about this campaign because I was in Michigan campaigning and with Debbie last weekend, I thought I was swing through Michigan was very, very effective.”
He did, however, admit that it needs to be much better articulated what exactly it is that the Harris Administration will do for African American men, as the answer to that question is far from obvious in the present, and thus that those who would be encouraging black men to vote, such as religious leaders, are questioning him rather than getting out the vote.
Rep. Clyburn said, “I met with black men, I met with black religious leaders met black union leaders. And quite frankly, I think we had very frank and direct discussions. And I see and feel what I’m reading about in news reports. Yes. black men, like everybody else, want to know exactly what I can expect from a Harris administration and I’ve been very direct with them.”
Then, doing his bit to encourage that demographic to get out and vote, he pushed the ludicrous idea that the Trump Administration will bring back Jim Crow, saying, “I’ve also contrast at that with what they can expect from a Trump administration. We will expect Project 2025 to be a full blown policy in his administration. And what would that policy be described it on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. Ii’ve been describing it that way ever since. It will be Jim Crow 2.0.” Watch him here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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