Clyburn: Bush called him a 'savior' for boosting Biden

As y witnessed President Joe Biden take oath of office on Wednesday, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said former Republican President George W. Bush lauded him as a “savior” for helping get Biden elected.

South Carolina Democrat is largely credited with giving Biden endorsement he needed to shoot to top of 2020′s large Democratic field and win his party's mination.

Clyburn, on a call with reporters, said Bush told him, “you kw, you’re savior, because if you h t minated Joe Biden, we would t be having this transfer of power today.” He said Bush ded that Biden was only Democratic candidate he felt could have defeated President Donald Trump.

Bush, who has largely stayed out of politics since leaving White House, chose “ne of above” in 2016 presidential election but has t revealed how he voted in 2020.

In a statement issued following Biden's victory, he wrote, “Though we have political differences, I kw Joe Biden to be a good man" and ded, "I offered him same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama: my prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can.”

Bush spokesman Freddy Ford downplayed Clyburn's remarks.

“Let’s t make this into more than it is,” he wrote on Twitter, ding that former president was “saying Clyburn helped saved Biden’s mination ... thing Biblical here."

Clyburn’s pivotal endorsement before South Carolina’s Democratic primary seemed to have brought Biden’s candidacy back from brink following lackluster performances in or early states. It was an awaited signal for many Black voters that Biden would be candidate to stand up for ir interests.

Biden won South Carolina by nearly 30 points, subsequently bested chief rival Bernie Sanders on Super Tuesday and bumped rivals Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Mike Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren in one of more muscular comebacks in presidential campaign history.

Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Democratic representative in Congress, is dean of state’s Democrats and third-ranking member of U.S. House.

Clyburn said that his backing of Biden also came up Wednesday during conversations with former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, party's 2016 minee.

Im: Associated Press