Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) voiced some uncertainty on Sunday when asked if Vice President Kamala Harris is the future of the Democratic Party.
“I see her as a part of that future. Absolutely,” Clyburn, 83, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“She could very well be [the future]. I think she is running a very good campaign,” he added.
Clyburn, who was credited with throwing a lifeline to then-candidate Joe Biden’s fledgling 2020 presidential campaign, still lavished praise on Harris.
“I look to her as a successor to this president, but I also know the history of that as well. It’s not a given. You don’t automatically move up,” he said.
The longtime South Carolina congressman has served various House Democrat leadership positions since the early 2000s.
He was the House majority whip from 2019 until early 2023, when Republicans took over. Now he serves as the House assistant Democratic leader.
Jim Clyburn has served in the House since the 1990s. NBCHarris began a monthlong college tour of sorts earlier this month, crisscrossing the country, seeking to gin up the youth vote with a message of freedom.
States on the itinerary include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.
She has a net -17.7 point unfavorable rating, while President Biden’s sits at -15.3 points, according to the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.
Former President George W. Bush supposedly credited Jim Clyburn with Joe Biden’s victory in 2020 during the subsequent inauguration. APClyburn emerged as a key figure in the 2020 Democratic primary.
Following a string of losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada that left his campaign on life support, Biden managed to mount a comeback in South Carolina, which many political analysts attributed in part to Clyburn’s endorsement.
The president has since pushed the Democratic National Committee to make South Carolina the leadoff state in presidential primary contests.
Kamala Harris has stressed the importance of Democrats prevailing in 2024, arguing that too much is at stake. Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative ConferenceClyburn on Sunday also downplayed concerns among some Democrats that Biden is at risk of hemorrhaging support among black Americans in the 2024 election.
During a speech to the Congressional Black Caucus on Saturday night, Biden flubbed LL Cool J’s name and then referred to him as “boy,” before course-correcting.
Kamala Harris is the first female, black and Asian American to serve as vice president. Getty Images“They will not stay at home. We understand what’s at stake here,” Clyburn replied when pressed about Biden’s support among black Americans.
“I was in that hall last night. I’ve been around here all week and African Americans from all over the country,” he continued, “and if you think he’s lost 17% of support among African Americans, you just have another thing coming.
“He is not in any trouble with African Americans in this country. I guarantee you that.”
