On Sunday, CNN’s State of the Union featured a dialogue with Democratic Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina regarding The Supreme Court docket’s newest determination towards utilizing race in redistricting. The dialog shortly turned to comparisons between the Supreme Court docket’s determination on the Voting Rights Act and Jim Crow-era insurance policies.
First, Tapper started by asking Clyburn if his congressional seat was “headed for elimination.” Clyburn confidently responded, “I do not know why individuals suppose I can’t get reelected in the event that they redistrict South Carolina.” Incumbents sometimes nonetheless have benefits even after redistricting.
Tapper later arrange Clyburn to make use of all of the “Jim Crow” metaphors.
TAPPER: Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, he known as the Supreme Court docket’s determination to weaken the Voting Rights Act, because it have been — quote — “one other step in the direction of resurrecting the Jim Crow South.” Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock stated it was a — quote — “twenty first century model of Jim Crow in new garments. “Do you agree?
CLYBURN: Completely, I agree, a lot in order that I’ve been saying this now for the final 4 or 5 years, and other people have been taking a look at me as if I am loopy or one thing.
Sure, it’d sound loopy to say nothing’s modified on race within the South for the reason that Nineteen Fifties.
Clyburn then talked about his new e book, The First Eight, which is concerning the eight African Individuals that served in Congress earlier than him who have been all “kicked out of workplace over this sort of tortured gerrymandering.” (They have been Republicans, however CNN viewers apparently did not must know that.)
Jim Crow Rhetoric Goes Unchallenged in Clyburn CNN Interview#cnn #information #tapper pic.twitter.com/k7oxPjfWYb
— Sarah (@scbpoli) Might 13, 2026
Tapper then requested for his response to Justice Alito saying that “Huge social change has proven that some race-based voting protections are not mandatory.” Clyburn answered, “why is it okay to have a 75 p.c white district and that is not racial; when you’ve got a forty five p.c black district, that’s racial?”
Clyburn argued that by trying on the Supreme Court docket’s reasoning it’s apparent that they’re “throwing every little thing out of the window, developing with new theories, placing in their very own prejudices on this, and they’re being very partisan of their rulings.” He defined that he “by no means thought” he would “see the day that america Supreme Court docket can be so overtly partisan with what it has been doing.”
Clyburn concluded by evaluating Justice Roberts to Justice Roger B. Taney, who dominated within the Dred Scott determination that African Individuals couldn’t be residents. He ended with, “And I actually consider, in case you take a look at all of those choices and also you take a look at the historical past of the nation, I believe that Justice Roberts goes to take his place alongside another notorious justices like Taney, who gave us the Dred Scott determination.”
Journalists like Tapper — who scowl about election deniers — eagerly interact with racial-advancement deniers.
Click on “Develop” to view transcript:
State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash
5/10/2026
9:19:23-9:20:35
JAKE TAPPER: Congressman Clyburn, is your congressional seat headed for elimination? What would that imply for South Carolina voters, for Congress and for you?
REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): Effectively, thanks very a lot for having me, Jake.
The voters could have the final phrase on this. And I do not know why individuals suppose I can’t get reelected in the event that they redistrict South Carolina. Now, I’ve a district that is a few 45 p.c African-American. I do not know what the quantity shall be after the legislature finishes.
However no matter that quantity is, I shall be working on a document and a promise, my document and America’s promise. So I will run no matter what the make-up of the district is likely to be, as a result of I consider that I’ve a document that may be very acceptable to the South Carolina voter and I’ve an excellent understanding of America’s promise. And we’ll run on that.
9:23:29-9:27:09
TAPPER: I wish to ask you about a few of the criticisms of those redistricting efforts that we have heard from a few of the different Democratic leaders. Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer, he known as the Supreme Court docket’s determination to weaken the Voting Rights Act, because it have been — quote — “one other step in the direction of resurrecting the Jim Crow South.”
Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock stated it was a — quote — “twenty first century model of Jim Crow in new garments. “Do you agree?
CLYBURN: Completely, I agree, a lot in order that I’ve been saying this now for the final 4 or 5 years, and other people have been taking a look at me as if I am loopy or one thing.
I simply printed a e book. I believe we now have talked about it right here.
TAPPER: Yep.
CLYBURN: “The First Eight.” That’s concerning the eight African-Individuals that served in Congress from South Carolina earlier than me. I am the ninth. And the very fact of the matter is, all of them have been kicked out of workplace over this sort of tortures gerrymandering, in addition to the sort of artistic gadgets that you simply see put in forth within the so-called SAVE Act, one thing else that the president needs.
He is been making an attempt to pressure the Senate to move the SAVE Act. I’ll ask anyone, check out the SAVE Act after which check out my e book, “The First Eight,” as a result of that e book will let you know precisely what they did after the Civil Struggle, after bringing Reconstruction to an finish, and initiated Jim Crow.
There are 95 years between quantity eight in my e book and yours really, quantity 9. That didn’t occur organically. That occurred as a result of Congress and the Supreme Court docket modified the foundations, as they’re doing at this time.
TAPPER: And, on that word, the rationale why this scramble to redistrict within the South in locations like Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, clearly South Carolina, the rationale it is occurring is as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court docket struck down this key provision within the Voting Rights Act.
And in his determination, Justice Alito wrote that — quote — “Huge social change has proven that some race-based voting protections are not mandatory.” What was your response whenever you first learn that?
CLYBURN: Effectively, my first response was, in case you take a look at — let’s simply take a look at South Carolina and take a look at the congressional districts in South Carolina, why is it okay to have a 75 p.c white district and that is not racial; when you’ve got a forty five p.c black district, that’s racial?
So what is that this about? There isn’t any means that the numbers bear this out. Once you take a look at what the Supreme Court docket’s causes have been, it’s a must to come to the conclusion that they’re throwing every little thing out of the window, developing with new theories, placing in their very own prejudices on this, and they’re being very partisan of their rulings.
I by no means thought I might see the day that america Supreme Court docket can be so overtly partisan with what it has been doing. And I actually consider, in case you take a look at all of those choices and also you take a look at the historical past of the nation, I believe that Justice Roberts goes to take his place alongside another notorious justices like Taney, who gave us the Dred Scott determination.
