With high-profile names like DeSantis and Trump stealing headlines every day in their bids for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, it’s easy to overlook other, lesser know candidates. But one name, in particular, may be a contender as the 2024 campaign cycle unfolds.
South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott announced his run for the presidency on Monday, and the left is already losing their collective minds. Standing before an audience at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University, Scott announced his “Faith in America” campaign, running on promises to dismantle the radical left and restore common sense conservative values to America.
Among his other stances, Scott’s platform promises to bolster the military, completing the border wall, freezing drug cartel assets, and letting “the world’s greatest military fight these terrorists — because that’s exactly what they are.”
He calls out both sides of the political aisle for building a culture of “victimhood.” “Our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing,” Scott said. “Victimhood or victory? Grievance or greatness? I choose freedom and hope and opportunity.”
For Scott, the belief that progressive ideology is destroying America is the defining factor in his decision to run for the presidency. “Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every rung of the ladder that helped me climb,” Scott says. “And that is why I am announcing today that I am running for president of the United States of America.”
Scott has been targeted by the left for his beliefs in the past, a target that will only grow bigger as his campaign progresses. Scott seems ready for the fight, claiming, “I’m the candidate the far-left fears the most. You see, when I cut your taxes, they called me a prop. When I re-funded the police, they called me a token. When I pushed back on President Biden, they even called me the ‘n-word,’” Scott went on to say, “I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. The truth of my life disrupts their lies.”
Unlike Trump and DeSantis, the left must be very careful in taking down Scott, who is an African American from truly humble roots. While Biden’s claims of poverty in childhood were wildly exaggerated, Scott was raised by a single mother. He, his brother, and his mother shared one bedroom in a shack along a dirt road in North Charleston.
Scott vividly recalls his upbringing and acknowledges the uncertainties faced by those living “at the edge.” “Not just because I’m black but because [of] my lived experience as a person in poverty, living paycheck to paycheck. Coming home and the phone not working. Coming home and the electricity is not always on, coming home and sometimes being hungry with no food coming that night.”
His background shaped his life and fueled his passion to help others overcome their challenges. “That experience … is now one of the reasons why I fight the way I do for people living in tough communities. I don’t really care whether you’re a white person in rural South Carolina or whether you are someone living on the border in Texas, a Hispanic, or someone living … in one of the inner cities and you’re black.”
Scott is far removed from his impoverished childhood now and brings an impressive bankroll into the campaign. He is entering the race with $22 million, more than any other presidential candidate has had in history. He also has an impressive following, easily winning his 2022 re-election bid in South Carolina by more than 20 points.
Scott is earning support from some surprising political figures, including former president Donald Trump. Of course, Trump’s support gave him another opportunity to take a swipe at Ron DeSantis per his post on Truth Social, “Good luck to Senator Tim Scott in entering the Republican Presidential Primary Race. It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable. I got Opportunity Zones done with Tim, a big deal that has been highly successful. Good luck Tim!”
Even the hosts of The View have been forced to acknowledge him, with Whoopi Goldberg announcing that Scott suffers from Clarence Thomas Syndrome because conservative beliefs are at odds with his race. Not to be outdone, co-host Sunny Hostin claimed that one of Scott’s problems is his belief that because he “made it” coming from an impoverished Black family in the South, “everyone can make it.”
Scott responded that he is the rule and not the exception. He blames left-wing teachers for the lack of quality educational opportunities. “We have to ignore the far left by disproving their lies by our actions. Here’s the funny thing: The host, Sunny, wants to be judged by the content of her character, not the color of her skin. The fact of the matter is America is a story of evolution – a never told story of evolution in too many of our schools that are indoctrinating our kids instead of educating our kids.”
One thing is for sure. This presidential election just got a lot more interesting, and Tim Scott may well gain the momentum necessary to give both Trump and DeSantis a real run for their money.
