Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Sunday he will make a “major announcement” in North Charleston, South Carolina, on May 22, weeks after he launched an exploratory committee for a presidential bid.
“It is time to make the final step. Please tell your friends. Be in attendance,” Scott said at a town hall in Charleston. “North Charleston — more details coming your way. We will have a major announcement, and you’re going to want to be there.”
Scott, who had been teasing a White House bid for months, launched an exploratory committee last month. In a video announcing the exploratory committee, Scott said the nation is once again being tested as he took aim at President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term.
“Joe Biden and the radical left have chosen a culture of grievance over greatness,” Scott said in the video announcing his exploratory committee. “They’re promoting victimhood instead of personal responsibility, and they’re indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country.”
Scott echoed his message that the left is undermining the “American dream” in his remarks Sunday.
“That is the beauty of the American dream that is unique to each and every one of us — we get to choose the way we live, where we live, how we live,” Scott said. “It is a wonderful, wonderful journey that we all are on. Our goal should be to protect this amazing journey: the American dream for the next generation of Americans we may never meet. It is our responsibility to stop the radical left from destroying the very foundation on which we stand.”
Scott, the first Black senator from South Carolina and the only Black Republican senator, would be the second GOP candidate from the state in the 2024 race. Former Gov. Nikki Haley announced her candidacy in February.
Scott, 57, has been making stops across the country on his “Faith in America” tour, fueling speculation that he would challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination next year.
Before he became a senator, Scott served one term in the House. He also served in the South Carolina House and on the Charleston County Council.
CORRECTION (May 1, 2023, 8:35 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated where Sen. Tim Scott said he will make a major announcement. He said he will make it in North Charleston, South Carolina, not Charleston.
