Tim Scott announces presidential exploratory committee

Sen. Tim Scott has officially launched his presidential exploratory committee, the clearest sign yet of his intentions to run for the GOP ticket in 2024.

“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,” Scott (R-S.C.) said in a video first circulated Wednesday morning.

The GOP senator has teased a presidential bid in recent months. If he enters, Scott will face a number of Republican heavyweights, including former President Donald Trump and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, as well as former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Other likely but undeclared GOP candidates include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former national security adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. With so many big names potentially running, fellow GOP senators have said it could be tough for Scott to compete.

Throughout the video, which stretched just over three minutes, Scott repeatedly took aim at President Joe Biden and Democrats, vowing to stand up to China and secure the borders, give parents a choice in their childrens’ education and protect religious liberty.

“If the radical left gets their way, millions more families will be trapped in failing schools, crime ridden neighborhoods and crushing inflation. Not on my watch,” Scott said amid a backdrop of cannons at Fort Sumter, a former military post in South Carolina that is considered to be where the Civil War began.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, also slammed the left for fostering a “culture of grievance” and “victimhood,” and argued that he has the necessary perspective to push back. He leaned into his evangelical roots and highlighted his childhood with a single mom who overcame poverty through determination.

“All too often when they [Democrats] get called out for their failures, they weaponize race to divide us, to hold onto their power,” he said in the video. “When I fought back against their liberal agenda, they called me a prop. A token. Because I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. They know the truth of my life disproves their lies.”

Coming off of his “Faith in America” tour, Scott told Fox News he found that people are “starving for hope, starving for an optimistic, positive message anchored in conservative values.”

After his announcement, Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison lambasted a presidential run by Scott, focusing on his support for Trump’s presidency and opposition to abortion.

“I'm glad they are afraid of me,” the South Carolina senator responded.

When pressed on what his strategy to beat Trump in the race would be, Scott reiterated his upbringing and the challenges he has overcome — not mentioning the former president. He was then asked if his tactic would be to tell his personal story, in hopes that voters would resonate.

“What I'm saying in response to your question is that the field of play is focusing on President Biden's failures,” he said, again without mentioning Trump by name.