James Clyburn: White Supremacists, Russians Are ‘Subverting’ Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter Portland solidarity (Eze / Getty)
Eze / Getty
Joel B. Pollak

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) claimed Wednesday that “white supremacists” were “subverting” the Black Lives Matter movement by launching violent attacks.

He added that Russians were spreading “disinformation” about the movement.

A caller demanded to know why Black Lives Matter had caused violence and looting, and why taxpayers had to pay to clean up the mess.

Clyburn said on C-SPAN 3 that white supremacists had infiltrated the protests and were responsible for the riots — and he cited Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who had made similar claims:

Keith Ellison was talking about white supremacists, who have dressed up in black, who have camouflaged themselves to look like somebody black, and going around knocking out windows, they showed it. They showed [laughs], and they are now investigating, and I will tell him that there are a lot of people subverting the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement is trying to show this country the way to go when it comes to law enforcement …

So don’t tell me that some foreign people, some of whom I believe are being financed by sinister forces — we all know that the Russians are doing things to spread disinformation throughout.

He said the caller was the victim “of a lot of disinformation and a lot of subversion.”

Earlier this week, Richmond, Virginia, police said that white supremacists were responsible for violence in protests last weekend that were held in solidarity with left-wing demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, against federal law enforcement. Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty made similar claimed about violent riots in the city in early June.

However, journalist Andy Ngo, who has documented left-wing extremist demonstrations for years, disputed those claims:

Clyburn also defended his decision to endorse former Vice President Joe Biden, after a caller noted that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) had actually participated in the civil rights movement, as had the late Rep. John Lewis (D-GA).

“I think the first 30 years of John Lewis was wonderful, and then I think he sold his soul, just like you did, because you endorsed Joe Biden, who isn’t even fit to walk in Bernie Sanders’ shadow for his fighting for equality and rights,” the caller said.

“I do not compare Joe Biden to the Almighty. I compare him to the alternative. And the alternative today is Donald Trump.”

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). His new book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.

Photo: file

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