S.C. Sen. Tim Scott dropping out of 2024 presidential race
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott announced late Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 race, about two months before the start of voting in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses.
The South Carolina senator made the surprise announcement on “Sunday Night in America” with Trey Gowdy.
The news comes as Scott continued to struggle in the polls and just days after the third Republican primary debate, in which he again failed to break through.
His campaign spokesperson Nathan Brand confirmed the news to The Associated Press. Gowdy said after the interview that the announcement surprised him.
Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, announced his intention to run in May. He entered the race with more cash than any other Republican candidate but couldn’t find a lane in a field dominated by former President Donald Trump.
At the third debate, Scott said during his closing statement that a growing “cultural and spiritual crisis” was growing in the nation and said America needs a renewal, “a great awakening.”
“We should reject the left valueless faithless fatherless society. We should turn back to faith, patriotism and individual responsibility. We should stop choosing victimhood and start choosing victory. We should stop kneeling in protest and start kneeling in prayer,” he said. “There are basic truths that built this country. If you’re able-bodied in America, you work. If you take that loan, you pay it back. If you commit a violent crime, you go to jail. And if God made you a man, you play sports against men.”
He said he did not want to win the battle against Joe Biden, but said he wanted “us together to win the war” for “our Christian conservative values.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is also running for the Republican nomination, praised Scott on X Sunday night, calling him a “strong conservative with bold ideas about how to get our country back on track.”
“I respect his courage to run this campaign and thank him for his service to America and the U.S. Senate,” DeSantis said. “I look forward to Tim continuing to be a leader in our party for years to come.”
Patrick Phillips of WCSC contributed to this report.
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