Clyburn Tells Tapper Trump Is ‘Closely’ Tied To Church Shooting That Took Place One Day After Trump’s 2015 Campaign Launch

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) on Sunday told CNN’s Jake Tapper that it’s fair to tie Donald Trump to a 2015 racially motivated mass shooting despite the fact that it took place just one day after Trump launched his first campaign.

The South Carolina Democrat spoke with Tapper on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday about the 2024 campaign, and expressed his concerns about President Joe Biden breaking through with voters, but first Tapper asked about the church where Biden will be speaking on Monday.

Mother Emanuel in Charleston, SC was the site of a 2015 shooting in which a white supremacist intent on starting a race war shot nine Black churchgoers at a Bible study — prompting, among other things, the eventual removal of the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds.

Biden is expected to speak about racial violence and tie it to Trump during his remarks on Monday, and Tapper asked Clyburn if it’s “fair” to tie Trump to the shooting. “Donald Trump had barely launched his campaign when that attack happened,” Tapper noted.

“I think it is very clear that Donald Trump’s utterances way back, before Charlottesville, or at the time of Charlottesville, ties him to what happened at Mother Emanuel,” Clyburn said, referring to the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally of 2017. “The fact of the matter is, that young man went into that church’s basement, joined with those worshipers in Bible study, and murdered them. And he said at the time that he was attempting to create a race war.”

“Donald Trump looked at those people in Charlottesville and said that there were good people on both sides, and those people were uttering things like, Jews will not replace us,” he said. “That is a religion. The A.M.E. church, that Emmanuel, that is religion. And Donald Trump has said things in support of those activities.”

“That ties him closely to what happened at Mother Emanuel,” said Clyburn.

TAPPER: Joining us now, South Carolina Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn. Congressman Clyburn, thanks for joining us. So let’s start with President Biden’s trip tomorrow to historic Mother Emanuel AME Church. What are you hoping to hear from President Biden? And is it fair to tie in any way what happened at the Emanuel AME Church to Donald Trump? Donald Trump had barely launched his campaign when that attack happened.

CLYBURN: Well, thank you very much for having me, Jake. I think it is very clear that Donald Trump’s utterances way back, before Charlottesville, or at the time of Charlottesville, ties him to what happened at Mother Emanuel. The fact of the matter is, that young man went into that church’s basement, joined with those worshipers in Bible study, and murdered them. And he said at the time that he was attempting to create a race war.

But the people of Charleston, South Carolina, the families of the affected victims all came together to get beyond hate and reach out to help you continue this pursuit of a more perfect union.

Donald Trump looked at those people in Charlottesville and said that there were good people on both sides, and those people were uttering things like, Jews will not replace us. That is a religion. The A.M.E. church, that Emmanuel, that is religion. And Donald Trump has said things in support of those activities. That ties him closely to what happened at Mother Emanuel.

Watch the clip above via CNN.