Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) expressed some uncertainty Sunday when asked if Vice President Kamala Harris was the future of the Democratic Party.
“I see it as part of that future. Absolutely,” Clyburn, 83, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“She could very well be [the future]. “I think he is running a very good campaign,” she added.
Clyburn, 83, who is credited with throwing a lifeline to then-candidate Joe Biden’s fledgling 2020 presidential campaign, still lavished praise on Harris.
“I consider her the successor to this president, but I also know the history of that. It’s not a fact that you don’t automatically promote,” she said.
The veteran South Carolina congressman has held several Democratic leadership positions in the House of Representatives since the early 2000s.
He was previously the House majority leader from 2019 until early 2023, when Republicans took power. He now serves as deputy Democratic leader of the House of Representatives.
WATCH: Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) stops short of calling Vice President Harris the future of the Democratic Party.@RepresentativeJamesClyburn: “She could very well be… It’s not a fact. You don’t automatically promote. She will have to compete.” pic.twitter.com/SpFZwNX4d2
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 24, 2023
Jim Clyburn has worked in the House since the 1990s. NBC
Harris embarked on a month-long college tour of sorts earlier this month, crisscrossing the country, seeking to galvanize the youth vote with a message of freedom.
States on the itinerary include Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin.
He has a net unfavorable rating of -17.7 points, while Biden’s stands at -15.3 points, according to the latest aggregate poll from RealClearPolitics.
Former President George Bush reportedly credited Jim Clyburn with Joe Biden’s 2020 victory during the subsequent inauguration. AP
Clyburn emerged as a key figure in the 2020 Democratic primary.
After a series of losses in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, which left his campaign on life support, Biden managed to make a comeback in South Carolina, which many political analysts attributed, in part, to Clyburn’s endorsement.
The president has since pressured the Democratic National Committee to make South Carolina the leading state in the presidential primary.
Kamala Harris has stressed the importance of Democrats prevailing in 2024, arguing that the stakes are too high. Getty Images for the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference
Clyburn on Sunday also downplayed concerns among some Democrats that Biden risks hemorrhaging support among Black Americans in the 2024 elections.
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 correcting course.
Kamala Harris is the first woman, 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 responded when asked about Biden’s support among black Americans.
“I was in that hallway last night. “I’ve been here all week and African Americans from all over the country,” she continued, “and if you think he’s lost 17% of support among African Americans, you’re just in for something else.
“He has no problem with African Americans in this country. He guarantees it to you.”
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