Rep. James Clyburn, Democratic congressman from South Carolina, expressed concerns about how the college campus protests across the country could impact President Joe Biden's second-term presidential run, agreeing with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who warned that Biden's stance over Israel's war on Gaza may have alienated young voters.
Both Democrats drew a parallel between the current protests and those that occurred during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson in the late 1960s when American students protested against the Vietnam War.
"I was around during the Vietnam War ... All those things that made us a great society, (Johnson) was the engineer of, and all that went down the drain because of Vietnam," Clyburn told CNN's Sara Sidner. "These kinds of issues could very well be taking over, so I share that concern that we have got to be very careful that we do not stymie protests."
Despite his concerns, Clyburn said he also acknowledges the president's two-state solution stance, meaning having a Palestinian state: "Joe Biden believes in a two-state solution, Netanyahu does not. Joe Biden's opponent in this election does not believe in a two-state solution."
"I would say to people — who do you want to see in the White House, someone who supports a two-state solution or someone who does not?" Clyburn said. "That is the choice we've got here, and we have to be very, very careful that we do not go so far over the line."
Clyburn, who is among those receiving the presidential medal of freedom, noted that he is where he's at today because of protests, underscoring that these actions must be done non-violently.
"This great country was born out of a protest," he said. "So, we must protect that, but we cannot condone lawlessness and when you use violence in order to manifest your protest, you have stepped over the line."