Clyburn ‘all in’ for Biden

Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), a key supporter of President Biden in the past, said Friday that he is “all in” for the president’s reelection campaign, amid calls for him to drop out.

Clyburn sat for an interview with the “Today” show to talk about Biden’s performance in his first press conference of the year and the concerns among Democrats about his ability to win the election and continue serving.

Clyburn said he is taking Biden at his word when the president said that he is not going to drop out.

“I took him at his word, and that’s why I am all in,” he said. “I’m riding with Biden no matter where he goes, no matter what method he takes.”

The South Carolina lawmaker reiterated his previous point and said if Biden does end up changing his mind about staying in the race, then he would also be “all in” for Vice President Harris replacing him at the top of the ticket.

Clyburn joined the show the morning after Biden’s solo press conference after this week’s NATO summit in Washington. The president spoke for nearly an hour and answered several questions from reporters about foreign policy and his odds for reelection.

Biden misspoke answering the first question, calling Harris “Vice President Trump.” Clyburn said Friday that most people who are avid watchers of Biden know it’s not the first time he’s mixed up names.

Just hours before, Biden had introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at an event as “Putin,” referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I would hope that we would focus on the substance of this man, rather than these sometimes-misspoken words and phrases,” Clyburn said.

In the two weeks since Biden’s poor debate performance, widespread panic has spread among the Democratic Party. Several of Clyburn’s Democratic colleagues in Congress have called on the president to step aside.

Clyburn, who has spent more than two decades in House Democratic leadership, has been a close ally of Biden’s for years.

When Biden received Clyburn’s endorsement ahead of the 2020 primary in South Carolina, it served as a turning point that put him on track for the White House after underperforming in the first early-voting contests.