On Saturday afternoon, CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield promoted a clip of Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC) from the day before when he tied the election of Donald Trump to racism and suggested that it was similar to the end of the Reconstruction era and the beginning of new Jim Crow era. Ultimately, he smeared America by saying his "real problem now is not Democrat versus Republican," but rather "this country and what we can expect from this country."
After speaking with CNN political analyst Julian Zelizer about former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) recent criticism of President Joe Biden for not dropping out of the election earlier, Whitfield brought up Congressman Clyburn's comments: "And then there's veteran member of Congress Jim Clyburn. He was a lot more philosophical about what the election outcome means -- perhaps in, you know, using your terminology, he was thinking bigger picture. Listen to what he had to say."
Then played a clip of the South Carolina Democrat from when he appeared on CNN Friday afternoon with host Boris Sanchez. After a clip of him complaining about slurs being used against Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris and former Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, he then moved to implicate racism as he took aim at the Project 2025 plan by conservatives for a Trump administration agenda:
I've studied the history of this country all of my life. I lived through Jim Crow. And I know that Project 2025 is Jim Crow 2.0. I am wondering whether or not we are coming out of this election the way the country came out of the 1876 presidential election which led to the end of Reconstruction and led to the beginning of Jim Crow. Is that where we are today?
Whitfield then accepted the liberal narrative that there was widespread racism and sexism as she posed: "He's talking about, you know, what now seems to be an enlightenment among many about the racism and sexism that continues to exist if not flourish. So what does this election, in your view, the outcome, say to you about where our country is right now?"
Zelizer went along with the premise in his response:
Well, I think that argument will be widespread, meaning this election, unlike 2016, there was tremendous clarity about where the President-elect stood, what his coalition stood for, and these issues were front and center. You don't have to scratch beneath the surface to hear them, to see them, to read them on issues such as immigrants.
There is a reactionary element to the new MAGA coalition, and that coalition affirmed itself and its role in American politics right now. So I think that's part of what is troubling many Democrats not simply who has power, but what this election means about the character of the United States. And some will be resigned and despondent, but I think you'll also see slowly others kind of resist allowing this to be the direction of what is America.
In the original interview with Sanchez, Clyburn had gone on to claim that the U.S. Supreme Court was allowing racist congressional districts to be used.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
CNN Newsroom with Fredricka Whitfield
November 9, 2024
1:12 p.m. EasternFREDRICKA WHITFIELD: And then there's veteran member of Congress Jim Clyburn. He was a lot more philosophical about what the election outcome means -- perhaps in, you know, using your terminology, he was thinking bigger picture. Listen to what he had to say.
CONGRESSMAN JIM CLYBURN (D-SC) (from a November 8 CNN appearance): You heard the rhetoric during the campaign. I certainly heard it. And the day or two before the campaign, there were references to women -- one to the former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi with the B word. Another time, I heard references to Kamala Harris with a C word. And these were done openly in wide open spaces with children in the audience.
My real problem now is not Democrat versus Republican. It's about this country and what we can expect from this country. I've studied the history of this country all of my life. I lived through Jim Crow. And I know that Project 2025 is Jim Crow 2.0. I am wondering whether or not we are coming out of this election the way the country came out of the 1876 presidential election which led to the end of Reconstruction and led to the beginning of Jim Crow. Is that where we are today?
WHITFIELD: He's talking about, you know, what now seems to be an enlightenment among many about the racism and sexism that continues to exist if not flourish. So what does this election, in your view, the outcome, say to you about where our country is right now?
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think that argument will be widespread, meaning this election, unlike 2016, there was tremendous clarity about where the President-elect stood, what his coalition stood for, and these issues were front and center. You don't have to scratch beneath the surface to hear them, to see them, to read them on issues such as immigrants.
There is a reactionary element to the new MAGA coalition, and that coalition affirmed itself and its role in American politics right now. So I think that's part of what is troubling many Democrats not simply who has power, but what this election means about the character of the United States. And some will be resigned and despondent, but I think you'll also see slowly others kind of resist allowing this to be the direction of what is America.
(...)
CNN News Central
November 8, 2024
3:19 p.m. EasternBORIS SANCHEZ: So you consider, Congressman, that misogyny and perhaps racism had a lot to do with her loss despite that Hillary Clinton received -- she won the popular vote -- and Barack Obama obviously won not only the presidency but reelection as well?
CONGRESSMAN JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Absolutely. He was not subjected to the kind of misinformation and disinformation that we've got going on now. We all know that. The fact of the matter is, as well as Hillary did, she still did not win. And I think that Kamala still suffers from that. You heard the rhetoric during the campaign. I certainly heard it. And the day or two before the campaign, there were references to women -- one to the former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi with the B word. Another time, I heard references to Kamala Harris with a C word. And these were done openly in wide open spaces with children in the audience.
My real problem now is not Democrat versus Republican. It's about this country and what we can expect from this country. I've studied the history of this country all of my life. I lived through Jim Crow. And I know that Project 2025 is Jim Crow 2.0. I am wondering whether or not we are coming out of this election the way the country came out of the 1876 presidential election which led to the end of Reconstruction and led to the beginning of Jim Crow. Is that where we are today?
I used to tell my students when I used to teach this stuff: Anything that's happened before can happen again. And I can see us with these kinds of Supreme Court decisions that are now saying it's all right to run congressional races though the facts are they (the districts) are racially biased, but you can run in those districts anyway. That's what the Supreme Court just did. And so we are facing a court that could be a throwback to Plessy versus Ferguson rather than Brown v Board of Education.
SANCHEZ: Congressman James Clyburn, we have to leave the conversation there, but we very much appreciate the time and perspective. Thanks for joining us.
CONGRESSMAN CLYBURN: Thank you very much for having me.
