Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., claimed media "disinformation" was to blame for former President Trump gaining support from Black voters since the 2020 election.
"We have to be very careful because this is all about miscommunication, disinformation, and that’s what causes me great pause," the Democratic lawmaker and Biden surrogate told MSNBC on Wednesday after a poll showed President Biden had lost significant ground with Black voters in two swing states.
"I know the power of the media … repeating these things rather than reporting what’s actually happening," Clyburn continued. "That is what’s causing the problem."
MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell cited a new USA Today/Suffolk University poll which found Biden's support among Black voters in Pennsylvania had dropped 20 percentage points, and by 22 points in Michigan.
BLACK VOTERS REJECTING BIDEN AS SUPPORT DWINDLES AHEAD OF 2024: ‘EVERYTHING WAS BETTER’ UNDER TRUMP
Multiple media polls have found dwindling enthusiasm for Biden among Black voters. A recent analysis by CNN found Biden down to 70% in 2024 from 86% in 2020.
"There does seem to be a lack of enthusiasm, and some anecdotal evidence that Donald Trump, who was in Detroit just a few days ago in a Black church, although mostly White people in the congregation that day, seems to be making a concerted effort to try to appeal to Black voters," Mitchell posed to Clyburn. She also pointed to Trump's comments boasting he's been the best president for Black Americans since Abraham Lincoln.
Clyburn argued that voters shouldn't be misled by claims by Trump and his "minions" about helping Black Americans, before warning about the media reporting disinformation.
"People feel depressed. And if you depress enough people, you can suppress their votes," he continued. "And that’s why I’m running around the country. I’m going to Georgia this weekend to spend two days down there, reminding people of what this man did for the four years that he was in office."
Clyburn previously said he was skeptical of polls showing Black voters turning to Trump, in an interview with Politico.
"I think Joe Biden is doing exactly what he needs to do to win reelection. Something is amiss with the polling. I call your attention to the recent polls in Maryland. The African American woman [Angela Alsobrooks] running for the United States Senate nomination — the Sunday before the election, one poll had her five down, the other poll had her seven down — and she won by 13. How do you explain that? That’s 20 points," Clyburn told Politico's Ryan Lizza during the "Deep Dive" podcast.
The latest Fox News poll found Biden had 73% support among Black voters, up from 66% in February, but lagging behind his 79% before the 2020 election. The November 2020 Fox News Voter Analysis found 91% of Black voters sided with Biden.
Fox News' Hanna Panreck and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.
