James E. Clyburn, U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina’s 6th district since 1993, used his social media platform on August 19, 2025, to criticize former President Donald Trump’s recent actions and statements regarding voting rights and federal education oversight.
In a post made at 15:54 UTC, Clyburn commented on Trump’s reported intentions regarding election laws: “Fresh off pressuring Texas to redraw maps favoring Republicans, Trump is now vowing to ban mail-in voting and voting machines. He can’t do that but he’ll try. Only 38% of Americans approve of Trump’s presidency. This is all part of his effort to cling to power.”
Later that day at 20:05 UTC, Clyburn addressed changes within the Department of Education’s civil rights division under the Trump administration: “Trump’s DOGE fired nearly half of the Education Dept.’s civil rights division. But get this: Now with a 25k-case backlog, remaining staff have been told to investigate allegations that students of color are being advantaged, not disadvantaged, by schools.”
At 21:36 UTC on the same day, Clyburn further criticized presidential attitudes toward congressional representation: “The President thinks depriving Americans of their voice in Congress is ‘beautiful.’ It’s not. It’s what unpopular politicians do when they’re afraid of how citizens will vote.”
Jim Clyburn has served as the representative for South Carolina’s 6th District since succeeding Robin Tallon in 1993 and is currently based in Columbia after being born in Sumter in 1940. He graduated from South Carolina State University in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.
