One-on-one with Senator Tim Scott
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – U.S. Senator Tim Scott, Lowcountry born and raised, sat down with News 2’s Octavia Mitchell in his first local interview since ending his presidential bid.
Although the presidential race is over for him, Senator Scott continues to hit the ground running with faith and optimism.
U.S. Senator Tim Scott announced his run for the White House in May in the Lowcountry. Despite increasing momentum, he ended his campaign six months later, even shocking his staff.
“I had peace when I started the race and peace when I exited the race as well. It was a shock to me. I only had 48 hours to make those decisions, but in the end, I decided on Sunday was the best place for me to do it. We had already decided to be on Trey’s show, and we were going to talk about 2024 and Iowa. I figured if you’re going to make a hard decision like that, do it with a friend. It was a hard decision, a very fast decision, but one that needed to be made,” Scott said.
“It was pretty clear to me that one I wasn’t willing to change my message: Faith matters. Faith is a foundation. Whether it’s faith in God, faith in each other, or faith in the future of this country. The traction necessary to continue to become the nominee wasn’t there. Our numbers were still climbing, but not fast enough to meet the objectives of being the nominee. I wasn’t running to make a point. I was running to make a difference, so for me, the difference was, in fact, the message that we are better together. Optimism matters, but right now, the country was saying not yet,” said Senator Scott.
In his tenth year in the Senate, Senator Scott says he has no regrets.
“I tell you, Octavia. It was a blessing from God and the people of South Carolina that I was in the position to run for president. The result of the race, of course, you want more, but having the chance to talk about the goodness of this nation, having a chance to fight for those who are less fortunate, talking about the issues that will impact their lives for generations. I can’t think of a better opportunity than running for president to get that message out. I certainly wish we would have won so that we could implement the policies that would have changed lives in the poorest corridors of the country, but the good news is 2028 is around the corner.”
Scott says he wants to run again. “At the end of the day, we’ve been talking about term limits on ourselves. I would say without question, coming through this grueling process, one thing I know we’re not finished yet, so we’re going to keep all options open, and I look forward to the day we can announce what we’re going to do next.”
As for a run as vice president, Scott says, “I have no plans on being the VP. God only knows what will happen ultimately.”
Former governor Nikki Haley appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate in 2013 to fill a vacancy. She is now gaining traction in the polls. Scott says he has no plans to endorse a candidate right now.
He says, “I think she’s moved to be a very moderate candidate that has been very attractive to a lot of folks. I’m not sure if there is a ceiling there; I think there might be. The anti-trump candidate has an attractive appeal, and she’s done a good job of positioning herself there. She’s a talented politician, and you have to take your hat off to her success so far.”
Scott says Congress has a lot of work to do to make progress. “I think we have a whole lot of bellyaching and not a lot of progress. We have to spend more time focusing on underlying issues.”
Last week, former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy announced he is resigning. Scott says he and McCarthy are close friends.
“He was the only person in CongressCongress to endorse me in 2010 when I was running against Strom Thurmond’s son, the only one to have the courage to step up to the plate. I really appreciate and have great affection for Kevin. His decision, I think, had a lot to do with the fact when you look into the future, he could regain a leadership role, but I think he decided the best use of his talents and his time is in the private sector. He’s committed to America’s future, and he wants to make sure he continues to fight for that future, and the best way to fight for that future in 2024 and beyond is in the private sector.”
Senator Scott admits he has a lot of critics in the African-American community, but he says his long and successful record speaks for itself.
“We have one of the longest lists of accomplishments in some of the strongest and most important areas, economically and educationally, in the history of the country. We created Opportunity Zones that brought higher wages in the poorest communities in this country, that are disproportionately African American, than any other piece of legislation in the history of the country. We’ve seen more investments, $75 billion invested in the poorest, less than 5-percent gentrification. We’ve seen the creation of jobs and affordable housing in parts of South Carolina and across the country.”
“Opportunity Zones are transforming the landscape of America in a positive way, and at the same time, we brought HBCUs to the highest level of funding, but we made it permanent for the first time ever. No other administration has done this, and I led the way on that. Opportunity scholarships more charter schools for America’s underserved communities, something I partnered with some folks on the left to get that done. So my success in providing more opportunities and more resources for African Americans is undeniable,” Scott stated.
Scott says the hard work continues. “I will focus on finding the best path to fight for America’s best future, which includes fighting to strengthen our social fabric, fighting for better education for the poorest kids, and fighting to make sure the free market economy works across this nation.”
