Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina launched a presidential exploratory committee, a strong indicator of a likely White House bid in 2024. Scott will use the committee to gauge his chances of success, and it will allow him to raise money that could be later used in a formal presidential campaign.
Scott’s announcement echoed conservative sentiments toward Democrats of “indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country.”
“All too often, when they get called out for their failures, they weaponize race to divide us to hold on to their power,” the 57-year-old added.
In Scott’s announcement, he said that when he fought back against the liberal agenda, he was labeled as a “token” Black senator for the GOP. He says that the truth of his life “disrupts the lies” of the Democratic party.
Despite being raised by a single mother in poverty, Scott says, “We put in the work, and we had an unwavering belief that we too could live the American dream.”
He added that he knows that America is a land of “opportunity, not oppression” because he has lived it.
Scott made history by becoming the first Black senator elected in the U.S. South since the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. He is the only Black Republican in the Senate and one of four Black Republicans to serve in the chamber in U.S. History.
“This is personal to me,” Scott said in his announcement. “I will never back down in defense of the conservative values that make America exceptional. And that’s why I’m announcing my exploratory committee for president of the United States.”
Should he make his candidacy official, Scott will join former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former President Donald Trump, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the GOP primary. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence may potentially run but have yet to announce their candidacy.
The senator has been touring key primary states but is set to tour through Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Before joining the Senate, Scott served one term in the U.S. House and served in the South Carolina State House as well as the Charleston County Council.
