During an interview, House Majority Leader James Clyburn (D-SC) claimed that people “are in love with” President Joe Biden’s agenda and are “very pleased” when “they look at their bank accounts, they look at what’s happening with their families and in their communities.”
On Wednesday’s broadcast of Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” Rep. Clyburn argued that “people love Joe Biden’s approach” but his approval ratings are low because he’s doing what needs to be done and “people get enamored with style” rather than substance.
The Democrat congressman began the segment by noting that he believes Biden should run for reelection in 2024.
“I want to see him run again,” Clyburn said. “I told him that. But that decision is up to him and his family. I think that if he learned anything in this election this November, it is this, that people love Joe Biden’s approach and they are in love with his agenda. That’s why we were able to defy all odds and do what we were able to do in defying conventional wisdom.”
He was then asked by the show’s host, Joe Mathieu, to explain how the president could be so beloved when his approval ratings are in the gutter.
“Why are his approval ratings so low if that’s the case, though, Congressman?” Mathieu asked. “I just have to ask you that. And I realize that Democrats outperformed expectations in the midterm elections. But shouldn’t Joe Biden be rewarded with a higher approval rating if people are in love with his policies?”
“Yes, that may be the case,” Clyburn responded. “But look at this, if you are trying to do things that have never been done, people get enamored with style. But I will say to them there is no substitute for substance. And on substance, Joe Biden is exactly what we need.”
The Democrat congressman then claimed that Americans “are very pleased” with Biden “when they look at their bank accounts,” despite evidence to the contrary — especially skyrocketing inflation and record-high gas prices that have plagued the country throughout Biden’s time in office.
"The average American household is spending $433 more a month to buy the same goods and services it did a year ago, according to a Moody’s Analytics analysis of October inflation data." pic.twitter.com/QTHkHSgWpb
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 25, 2022
“For those people who are more enamored with style, with high-sounding speeches, and that sort of thing, they are not going to be satisfied. But when they look at their bank accounts, they look at what’s happening with their families and in their communities, they are very pleased,” Clyburn asserted. “And that doesn’t show up too much in polling.”
Clyburn went on to assert that Biden will be like President Harry Truman, who took actions that “were unpopular at the time, but over time, have proven to be exactly what the country needed.”
“I think a lot about my favorite President of all times, Harry Truman,” he said. “Nobody left office with lower approval ratings than Harry Truman. But if people look back, they called him one of the top 10 if not the top five presidents of all times. That’s because he took the necessary steps to do what was needed to keep this country together, to bring some decisions into [the] force that were unpopular at the time, but over time, have proven to be exactly what the country needed. That’s going to be the case here with Joe Biden.”
