U.S. Rep. James Clyburn says he has had direct conversations with some supporters of the Make America Great Again movement who expressed favorable views of slavery, remarks that have sparked renewed discussion after a clip from a recent television interview began circulating online.
The South Carolina Democrat, one of the most senior and influential Black lawmakers in Congress, made the comments during an appearance on Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, where he discussed race, politics and the direction of the country. The interview has since drawn wider attention as excerpts have been shared across social media and political platforms.
Speaking candidly, Clyburn said his experiences have led him to be cautious but clear-eyed when describing segments of the MAGA movement.
“I’m very circumspect about using the term,” he said when asked whether he broadly considers MAGA Republicans to be racist. “There are racists. There are White supremacists. There are people who are supporters of this president who admit to me that they are White supremacists.”
He continued with a more striking claim, noting that some individuals he has encountered have gone further in their views.
“I’ve had people who support this president tell me that they thought slavery was a good thing,” Clyburn said during the interview.
The remarks underscore what the longtime lawmaker described as a deeper concern about efforts to roll back civil rights progress. According to Clyburn, certain factions within the movement are not only nostalgic about earlier periods in American history but may support policies that echo systems of racial segregation.
Clyburn warned that, in his view, some of these individuals would seek to reintroduce elements resembling Jim Crow-era laws (policies that enforced racial segregation in the South for decades following Reconstruction) if legal pathways allowed.
“They wish to get us back as close to slavery as they can possibly get us,” he said, adding that such efforts could take shape through court decisions rather than overt legislative action. “Anything that’s happened before can happen again. All it takes is a rogue Supreme Court.”
His comments come at a time when debates over voting rights, education standards and the interpretation of American history continue to divide political leaders and the public. While critics of Clyburn’s remarks argue that they over generalize or inflame partisan tensions, supporters say his warnings reflect real concerns about the erosion of civil rights protections.
During the same interview, Clyburn also discussed his recent book, The First Eight, which chronicles the lives and contributions of South Carolina’s first Black members of Congress during the Reconstruction era. The book highlights how those lawmakers helped shape policies during a transformative period in American history following the Civil War.
Clyburn said he was motivated to write the book in part by the events of the January 6 Capitol attack, which he views as a reflection of long-standing tensions rooted in the nation’s past. He suggested that understanding Reconstruction and its aftermath is essential to understanding present-day political dynamics.
“The lessons of history are still with us,” Clyburn said, emphasizing that progress is not guaranteed and must be actively protected.
He also referenced polling and research indicating that some Americans hold conflicting or revisionist views about slavery, emancipation and the Civil War—trends that scholars say can influence public policy debates and political messaging.
As the clip continues to circulate, it has reignited conversations about race, political rhetoric and the boundaries of historical interpretation in modern America. Whether seen as a warning or a point of contention, Clyburn’s remarks have once again placed the legacy of slavery and segregation at the center of the national dialogue.
(This story includes reporting by Aisha Winfrey.)
