Rep. Jim Clyburn criticizes Trump’s handling of veterans at Beaufort town hall
Jim Clyburn, South Carolina’s lone Democrat member of Congress, held a town hall in Beaufort County on Thursday. It was his third stop on a statewide “listening tour,” where the 16-term representative has met with constituents both in and out of his district. The event, hosted by South Carolina’s Democratic Party, brought in residents from across the county.
He kicked off the traveling series in Summerton on April 17 and traveled to Wofford College in Spartanburg for a meeting Tuesday night. Clyburn said that after visiting Beaufort, he plans to attend other town halls around the state, specifically in the Pee Dee region.
Clyburn represents South Carolina’s 6th congressional district, which includes Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties. But the town hall venue sits in the 1st congressional district, represented by Republican Rep. Nancy Mace.
Mace received pushback from her constituents Wednesday after hosting her first in-person town hall of the year on Dataw Island. The problem — said constituents who protested outside of the private, gated community and some who attended — was the town hall was not open to the general public. Hosted by the community homeowner’s association, Mace’s town hall brought attendees with a wide range of political opinions.
“I’m going to let Nancy Mace relate to her constituents the way she wants to, and I am going to relate to my constituents the way I want to,” Clyburn said to a group of reporters Thursday.
Veteran protections were the central theme of the event, held in an auditorium at the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Outside of the building’s front doors, Clyburn set the tone when talking to reporters, noting that decisions made by President Donald Trump’s administration will have “devastating impacts” on veterans.
About 17,000 veterans live in Beaufort County, home to the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and Parris Island, the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Veterans account for nearly 11% of the county’s residents, the same percentage as in neighboring Jasper County.
Inside, in front of a crowd of around 250 people, the 84-year-old congressman laid out more specifics while sitting casually in a boxy leather armchair.
He noted potential job cuts within the Department of Veterans Affairs and the uncertain future of the United States Postal Service, a large veteran employer. Clyburn said that roll backs to other federal assistance programs like SNAP benefits and housing assistance could have serious implications for the thousands of prior service members who rely on them.
Several veterans were in the room. Two of them, a father and son, sat up in the top row.
John Norman, a Port Royal resident of 10 years and U.S. Army veteran, attended the event with his father, also a veteran, and his mother. Overall, Norman was pleased that Clyburn showed up to the town hall and addressed issues facing service members and veterans.
“We have all sworn an oath to the Constitution of the United States to defend, not to an individual,” Norman said. “He’s there fighting for us. I can see that.”
During the Q&A portion of the session, about 20 residents of Bluffton, Beaufort, Port Royal, Hilton Head and even Charleston stood to ask questions of the congressman.
Some asked specific questions about Social Security protections or challenges facing public education. Many expressed more broadly their concern about decisions being made by President Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Some asked how Clyburn and other members of the Democratic Party planned on addressing their worries.
Clyburn tried to instill hope and a sense of urgency among attendees.
“We are here tonight to break our sorrow,” Clyburn said. “We have been too quiet in the country. We have been too quiet in South Carolina. We have got to preserve this democracy.”
He said that, to do so, common ground has to be met: “To be successful in any endeavor, it calls for reconciling differences and finding common ground.”
