Clyburn pushed Biden to include endorsement in announcement he was stepping aside

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) urged President Joe Biden to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement moments before the Democratic elder dropped his bid for reelection. 

Clyburn was one of the few people Biden confided in the hours leading up to his historic campaign exit on July 21, according to a report from Axios. During a private phone call with Clyburn that day, the embattled president read his statement announcing his decision to withdraw from the race. 

“I told him, ‘There’s a little thing missing out the statement.’” Clyburn reflected. “He asked me what it was and I said, ‘You can’t leave the stage not endorsing.’”

“He said, ‘I’m going to put out a second statement within the hour,’” Clyburn added. “That second statement came out at 1:46.”

As early as July 2, weeks before Biden dropped his bid for a second term, Clyburn said he would support Harris should the incumbent president withdraw from the race.

“We should do everything we can to bolster her, whether it’s in second place or the top of the ticket,” Clyburn told MSNBC.

Clyburn wields significant political power in Washington, D.C. A former House majority whip and the first African American to represent the Palmetto State in Congress since 1893, Clyburn’s decision to endorse Biden three days before his 2020 presidential primary helped carry him a win in South Carolina and start recouping from losses in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. 

Many political strategists credit Clyburn’s support for Biden at such a pivotal moment for his campaign for fueling his victory on Election Day 2020.

Four years later, the pair’s intimate phone call indicates the relationship is still strong as Clyburn moves from Biden surrogate to Harris ambassador. 

Just over an hour before Biden offered Harris a speech of support at the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Clyburn gave a rousing address praising both of his friends.

“For President Biden’s lifetime of achievement, his service of his country, we owe him a great debt of gratitude,” Clyburn told crowds. “And we are all grateful for one of the best decisions he made, selecting Kamala Harris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.”