Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. gives remarks at his presidential campaign announcement event at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University, on Monday, May 22, 2023, in North Charleston, S.C.
Meg Kinnard | AP
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina on Monday officially announced he’s running for president in 2024, putting his sizeable campaign war chest and optimistic message to the test in a Republican primary race that has to this point been former President Donald Trump’s to lose.
Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, in an announcement speech in North Charleston balanced his faith and his family’s story with attacks on Democratic President Joe Biden’s record.
“I’m living proof that America is the land of opportunity, not a land of oppression,” Scott said in prepared remarks.
“Joe Biden and the novel left are attacking every rung of the ladder that helped me climb,” he said, “and that’s the reason I’m announcing today that I’m running for President of america of America!”
Scott, 57, faces an uphill battle: Polls of the possible primary field show him trailing many other presidential contenders, including fellow South Carolina Republican Nikki Haley, who entered the race in February. Trump has easily led the pack since launching his campaign last 12 months, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis consistently rating as the highest alternative.
But Scott enters the race with a number of key weapons in his political arsenal.
Scott is well-liked amongst his peers, and he’s poised to leap within the race on a springboard of high-profile endorsements. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., last week delivered the primary non-Trump endorsement of the 2024 cycle when he backed Scott’s impending run. Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican and the opposite senator from South Dakota, can be endorsing Scott, NBC News and other outlets reported Sunday.
“Tim Scott is the actual deal, and he’ll make an ideal president of america,” Thune told the gang in North Charleston before Scott took the stage.
“I do not find out about you, but I believe our country is able to be inspired again.”
Scott also holds a financial advantage over lots of his competitors: His campaign-in-waiting had nearly $22 million in money available at the top of March. The senator is already putting that cash to make use of with a $6 million ad buy for TV and radio spots in Iowa and Latest Hampshire. Those ads are set to start out airing Wednesday, coinciding with Scott’s travel to those two states for his first major trip as a declared presidential candidate.
Scott’s political presence and messaging, which champions themes of unity and optimism, also stands in stark contrast to the strident and polarizing rhetorical approach being practiced by much of the remainder of the Republican field. The primary GOP primary debate is slated for August.
“Our party and our nation are standing at a time for selecting,” Scott told the gang. “Victimhood or victory? Grievance or greatness? I select freedom and hope and opportunity.”
As he closed out his speech, Scott departed from his prepared remarks and walked into the gang. “This could’t be one other presidential campaign. We haven’t got time for that. We’d like a president who persuades not only our friends and our base.”
“We’ve to have a compassion for individuals who don’t agree with us,” he added.
The long-expected campaign kickoff got here three days after Scott filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission designating a principal committee for a presidential bid. He had launched an exploratory committee for a White House bid last month and has made frequent trips to key primary states.
DeSantis is anticipated to declare his candidacy later this week. Trump has treated the Florida governor as his top primary rival, virtually ignoring the remainder of the GOP field as he pummels his former ally with attacks.
That tactic could also be paying off within the short term, as recent polls show DeSantis sliding while Trump widens his lead. But the first stays in its early stages, with more competitors, including former Vice President Mike Pence, expected to hitch in the approaching weeks.
Trump also faces several major legal issues. The previous president pleaded not guilty last month to charges that he falsified business records in relation to hush money payments made before the 2016 election, a fight that’s just starting to unfold. He also faces significant additional exposure from an election interference probe by the Fulton County district attorney in Georgia and federal special counsel investigations, amongst other threats.
In a touch at how Trump perceived Scott’s potential threat to his candidacy, the previous president took the senator’s presidential announcement as yet one more opportunity to attack DeSantis.
“Tim is an enormous step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is completely unelectable,” Trump wrote in a social media post earlier Monday.
“Good luck Tim!” Trump added.