Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina announced Wednesday that he's getting even closer to entering the 2024 Republican presidential primary by launching an exploratory committee.
Scott is one of the most well-known Black leaders in the GOP nationally and chose to launch his committee on the anniversary date that began the Civil War.
"Our country is once again being tested," Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, said in a 3-minute video announcement. "Once again, our divisions run deep, and the threat to our future is real."
Scott's announcement, which will allow him to raise campaign funds, means he will almost certainly formalize a presidential run.
Once he does so, he'll be the fourth Republican to enter the Republican primary contest against former President Donald Trump. Others who have made a formal announcement are former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who also hails from South Carolina.
In his video, Scott did not take aim at his GOP challengers. Instead, he attacked President Joe Biden and other Democrats for what he described as a "culture of grievance."
"They're promoting victimhood instead of personal responsibility, and they're indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country," he said.
AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt
Scott, 57, hinted at a presidential bid during his midterms victory speech, even though he previously — like Haley — said he wouldn't run against Trump, according to The State newspaper.
"My grandfather voted for the first man of color to be elected as president of the United States," he said on November 8, referring to the vote his grandfather cast for former President Barack Obama. "I wish he had lived long enough to see perhaps another man of color elected president of the United States. But this time, let it be a Republican and not just a Democrat. So just know: All things are possible in America."
In recent months, Scott has shown other signs of being interested in the presidency, including launching a listening tour called "Faith in America" and going to early primary voting states New Hampshire and Iowa.
He also released a memoir, "America, a Redemption Story: Choosing Hope, Creating Unity." Even though he defended a safe seat last cycle, he is one of the top fundraisers in the Senate — which includes support from small and online donors. He has nearly $22 million left in a campaign account, which he can use for a White House run.
Scott was among those leading the push for the successful passage of the criminal justice law, the bipartisan First Step Act, and his measure to create Opportunity Zones that bring private investments into economically distressed communities was part of the 2017 tax reform law.
After delivering the GOP response to Biden's address to Congress last year, he garnered national interest, after which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky named him "the future of the Republican Party."
Scott served a term in the US House before joining the Senate. Haley, who was South Carolina governor at the time, appointed Scott to the seat in 2013 after then-Sen. Jim DeMint resigned.
Scott has been open about the racism he has faced over the course of his life and about growing up in poverty in the South.
"I get called Uncle Tom and the n-word by progressives, by liberals," he said in response to Biden's address. He has shared in interviews that police have pulled him over numerous times, despite him not violating any traffic laws. He sat down with Trump at the White House to discuss systemic racism and publicly called on Trump to call back certain statements he made on race.
In his exploratory committee video, Scott promised to defend "conservative values that make America exceptional," referring to policies such as school vouchers that move students out of public schools and restrictions on abortion rights and illegal immigration.
"If the radical left gets their way millions more families will be trapped in failing schools, crime-ridden neighborhoods, and crushing inflation," he said in his exploratory committee video.
The Democratic National Committee criticized Scott's announcement on Wednesday, calling him a "fierce advocate of the MAGA agenda."
Other candidates expected to launch a bid for the 2024 nomination include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence.
Updated, April 12, 10:00 AM ET — This article has been updated to include comment from the Democratic National Committee.
