The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Rep. Jim Clyburn
Date: November 14, 2025
Episode Overview
In this engaging episode, Stephen Colbert sits down with Congressman Jim Clyburn, the seasoned representative of South Carolina’s 6th district. Their conversation weaves together the urgent state of politics in Washington following a lengthy government shutdown, Clyburn’s reflections on his legendary civil rights colleagues, and the inspirational stories from his new book, The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation. Through anecdotes, historical insights, and personal reflections, Clyburn gives listeners a heartfelt reminder of America’s unfinished business and enduring hope.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. State of South Carolina and Colbert’s Personal Connection
- [01:30] Colbert opens with local banter, mentioning he hasn’t visited South Carolina since August, to which Clyburn responds, “It’s doing great. But, you know, come back a little more often.”
- Colbert points out his nightly monologue map of South Carolina, emphasizing his roots.
2. The End of the Government Shutdown
- [01:52] Colbert shifts to pressing politics, asking about the newly-passed Senate deal to end the 41-day government shutdown.
- Clyburn: “Everybody got some of what they wanted. The other side got more of what they wanted than we of what we wanted. We got some protections for SNAP, WIC… However, when it comes to the Affordable Care Act… we did not get unrest.” [02:16]
- He stresses the ongoing struggle for health care access and affordability:
- Clyburn: “If at first you don’t succeed, you keep trying… this is not the end of this fight.” [02:44]
- Discussion about legislative promises and the prospects of a Senate floor vote:
- Colbert jokes, “You wanna lay some money on that? Cause I can make some quick cash right now, I think.”
- Clyburn: “Not from me. Cause I will not bet on the Senate by any means.” [03:43]
3. Clyburn’s New Book: The First Eight
- [03:47] Colbert introduces Clyburn’s newest book and asks about the “First Eight.”
- Clyburn: “These were eight African Americans that served in the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina before me. They served first from December 12, 1870. Joseph Rainey was absolutely the first African American ever elected to Congress from the little town of Georgetown, South Carolina.” [04:02]
- Shares stories of the First Eight, detailing their backgrounds and impact, including litany of names: Litany Delarge, Richard Kane, Robert Brown Elliott, and Robert Smalls.
4. The Remarkable Story of Robert Smalls
- [05:16] Colbert prompts Clyburn to recount the life of Robert Smalls.
- Clyburn: “Robert Smalls was born into slavery. Around the age of 17, he started working on the waterfront... Here he was prancing around the ship one day, he threw on the captain’s cap, and one of his buddies said to him, you know, when you put that cap on, you look exactly like the captain. This set off something in his head, and he started making a plan…” [05:28]
- Clyburn tells the thrilling story of Smalls’ ingenious escape by commandeering a Confederate ship, passing through Charleston Harbor’s defenses, and surrendering it to the Union with his family and friends aboard.
- Clyburn: “His wife had brought along a white bedsheet, and they took that bedsheet and put up the flag of surrender and delivered that ship to the Union Army. And he got his freedom.” [07:08]
- Smalls’ post-war achievements:
- Served in Congress for 10 years.
- Championed free public education—South Carolina became the first state to offer this because of his resolution.
- Clyburn: “Robert Smalls, who did not have an education himself… when he did that, South Carolina became the first state in the Union to provide free public education for all.” [07:47]
- Smalls refused offers to relocate North, remained in South Carolina until his death.
5. Reflections on Civil Rights and Friendship with John Lewis
- [08:39] After the break, Colbert brings up Clyburn’s relationship with John Lewis.
- Clyburn: “John Lewis and I met the weekend of October 15, 1960. It was the second meeting of SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee… That’s the weekend I met Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time. The same weekend I met John Lewis. We were both 19-year-old college students at the time and we formed a fast relationship that lasted right up until his death.” [09:17]
- Speaks to Lewis’s core of nonviolence and their deep, lifelong friendship, including their wives’ friendship.
- Clyburn: “I always said that he among us all was the only one that internalized nonviolence. Some of us practiced it. I never internalized it. John Lewis did. One of the most remarkable human beings I ever encountered.” [10:33]
- Moving account of last conversation:
- Clyburn: “I spoke with him the night before he passed away… his chief of staff said to me, ‘Why don’t you tell him he can hear.’ And he took the phone and put it on his shoulder and I talked to John that night and he passed away the next day.” [11:15]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Colbert: “People may not know, I pointed out to you… I do the monologue every night on a little map of South Carolina over there.” [01:41]
- Clyburn on Robert Smalls’ daring escape: “He started the whistles to going. And they took the Planter, that ship, out of the Charleston harbor past Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began.” [06:30]
- Colbert on legislative odds: “You wanna lay some money on that? Cause I can make some quick cash right now, I think.” [03:36]
- Clyburn on John Lewis: “Among us all, he was the only one that internalized nonviolence. Some of us practiced it. I never internalized it. John Lewis did.” [10:33]
- Clyburn on the unfinished work of progress: “If at first you don’t succeed, you keep trying… this is not the end of this fight.” [02:44]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:30 — Colbert welcomes Clyburn, South Carolina banter
- 01:52 — Shutdown deal discussion: who won, what was won/lost
- 03:47 — Introduction to The First Eight and stories of pioneering Congressmen
- 05:16–08:33 — The story of Robert Smalls: from slavery to groundbreaking legislator
- 08:39–11:32 — Memories of John Lewis, the origins of their friendship, and Lewis’s passing
Takeaway
This episode offers listeners an uplifting, illuminating journey through Black history, the perseverance required in Washington, and the power of enduring civil rights leadership. Congressman Clyburn spotlights forgotten giants of American progress and movingly honors his dear friend John Lewis, reminding us all of the work still ahead—delivered in the warm, witty rapport that defines Colbert’s show.