Episode Overview
Podcast: What A Day (Crooked Media)
Episode Title: Rep. Jim Clyburn Offers A Historical Warning
Release Date: December 5, 2025
Host: Jane Coaston
Featured Guest: Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), author of The First Eight: A Personal History of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation
This episode centers on an interview with Congressman Jim Clyburn, exploring the deep history of Black political leadership in South Carolina, the shifting coalitions within America's political parties, and the urgent historical parallels he sees between the post-Reconstruction era and modern American politics. The conversation underscores the longer arc of Black representation, political violence, and threats to the gains of the Civil Rights era, tying historic lessons to today’s concerns about democracy, voting rights, and the future of the GOP.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Shifting Identity of the Republican Party
(00:29 – 02:05)
- Jane discusses a new survey from the Manhattan Institute that splits Republicans into "core" (pre-2016 voters) and "new entrant" Republicans (recent voters, often ex-Democrats or independents).
- Findings: New GOP entrants are more "conspiratorial, more likely to be racist and antisemitic, and more likely to support the use of political violence," pulling the party further right.
- Jane expresses concern about these trends, identifying them as a backdrop for Clyburn's urgency in his new book.
Notable Quote:
"New entrant Republicans are more conspiratorial, more likely to be racist and antisemitic, and more likely to support the use of political violence. And they are pulling the GOP in their direction, which worries me. And it worries South Carolina Democratic Representative Jim Clyburn."
— Jane Coaston, (01:30)
2. The Historical Role of Black Republicans
(02:35 – 05:36)
- Clyburn’s book, The First Eight, recounts the stories of the eight Black Representatives elected from South Carolina in the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, all of whom were Republicans.
- He discusses what it meant to be a Republican during Lincoln’s era:
"All African Americans were members of the party of Lincoln. It's just that simple. My mother and father were both Republicans..."
— Jim Clyburn, (03:08) - Clyburn narrates that the GOP’s coalition shifted after the end of Reconstruction, undermined by President Hayes’s deal with white “Redeemer” Democrats.
3. Profiles in Courage: Joseph Rainey and Robert Smalls
(04:20 – 08:44)
- Joseph Rainey was the first elected Black member of Congress and was born into slavery; he gained freedom after his father bought the family's liberty.
- Robert Smalls, described as the "star" of Clyburn’s book, escaped slavery by commandeering a Confederate ship and delivering it to Union forces.
- Smalls persuaded Lincoln to allow Black enlistment, recruiting 5,000 formerly enslaved men for the Union; Lincoln later said this was critical to winning the Civil War.
Memorable Quote:
"Lincoln said that but for the freedmen, the Union would have lost that war. And the freedmen came in to service because Robert Smalls convinced Abraham Lincoln to let it happen."
— Jim Clyburn, (07:57)
4. Echoes of Reconstruction Backlash in MAGA Movement
(08:44 – 10:53)
- The violent white supremacist reactions to Black political leadership during Reconstruction (the Ku Klux Klan and the "Red Shirts" militias) are compared to modern right-wing movements.
- Clyburn draws an analogy between historical red uniforms (red coats; red shirts) and today’s MAGA red caps:
“Today, people who would like to redeem this country to what I call pre-1960...they are now wearing red caps.”
— Jim Clyburn, (09:50) - Jim Crow nicknames and tactics are resurfacing, and Clyburn wants readers to see “the similarities in what's happened today and what happened back then.”
5. Voting Rights Act: Parallels Between Past & Present
(11:00 – 13:09)
- Jane asks about the Supreme Court potentially gutting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
- Clyburn expects it could happen, drawing historical links between the judicial neutering of the 1866 Civil Rights Act and modern conservative court actions.
- He urges a more vigorous political response, citing recent activism/engagement in states like New Jersey, Georgia, and Mississippi as hopeful signs.
Notable Quote:
"Everything that's going on today seems to be tracking what came after the Civil Rights act of 1866...The same thing is happening today. The Supreme Court is now addressing the Voting Rights act of 1965...Now they're aimed at Section 2..."
— Jim Clyburn, (11:21)
6. Lessons for a New Generation
(13:09 – 14:58)
- Clyburn urges young activists to understand the power of their vote, noting two pivotal votes in US history that hinged on a single ballot:
- The end of Reconstruction by an 8-7 vote,
- Jim Crow's establishment by an electoral collage margin of 185-184.
- Second lesson: "Never give up the fight," citing his father's advice that "the darkest point of the night is that moment just before dawn."
Memorable Quote:
"Those two things were decided by a single vote...never give up the fight."
— Jim Clyburn, (14:12, 14:53)
Additional News Highlights
Supreme Court and Texas Maps
(17:40 – 19:05)
- The Supreme Court permits Texas to use a contested electoral map that favors Republicans for the 2026 midterms—seen as part of a pattern of siding with Trump-era positions.
Trump's DRC/Rwanda Photo Op
(19:05 – 19:53)
- President Trump hosts a "peace" signing with Congo and Rwanda leaders at the renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, though fighting continues in the region.
FBI Arrest in 1/6 Pipe Bomb Case
(20:23 – 21:52)
- A suspect is apprehended in the 2021 DNC/RNC pipe bomb case, with law enforcement citing shoe evidence as a breakthrough in the lengthy investigation.
Wealth Inequality & "K-Shaped" Economy
(22:08 – 23:50)
- Satirical riff on "Dr. Evil" and inflation underscores bleak news: the ultra-wealthy are pulling away from the rest, with billionaire fortunes at all-time highs.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Red Shirts and MAGA Hats:
"Today, people who would like to redeem this country to what I call pre-1960...they are now wearing red caps."
(09:50, Jim Clyburn) -
On the Power of One Vote:
“Two of the most important events in the lives of African Americans...were decided by a single vote.”
(14:12, Jim Clyburn) -
On Persistence:
“Son, the darkest point of the night is that moment just before dawn...no matter how dark it may seem, you never give up the fight.”
(14:53, Jim Clyburn, recalling his father’s advice) -
On Black Military Service Changing the Civil War:
"The freedmen came in to service because Robert Smalls convinced Abraham Lincoln to let it happen...You will not find any [history] that's more consequential than Robert Smalls."
(07:57 – 08:44, Jim Clyburn)
Timestamps for Main Segments
- Introduction, GOP Trends & Clyburn’s Book Context – 00:29–02:35
- Clyburn Interview: Reconstruction & Black Republicans – 02:35–05:36
- Profiles: Joseph Rainey & Robert Smalls – 04:20–08:44
- Backlash: Red Shirts, Modern Echoes – 08:44–10:53
- Voting Rights Act Concerns – 11:00–13:09
- Lessons for Activists – 13:09–14:58
- Headlines: Supreme Court, Trump, FBI, Wealth – 17:40–23:50
Tone & Style
Jane Coaston’s style is witty and sharp, blending historical analysis with present-day political critique. Clyburn’s voice is reflective, urgent, and seasoned, eager to connect the past’s lessons with today’s mounting democratic threats.
Conclusion
This What A Day episode delivers a concise yet rich historical analysis via Rep. Clyburn’s scholarship and experience, connecting post-Reconstruction America’s perils to today’s political inflection point. With both warning and encouragement, Clyburn’s message to younger generations is clear: democracy depends on vigilance, understanding history, and never discounting the power of one determined person—or one vote.