COLUMBIA, S.C. — It is official. South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott has announced he has launched an exploratory committee for a potential 2024 presidential bid.
An exploratory committee is the first step to test the waters before a person formally announces a candidacy.
Scott announced the launch Wednesday morning on Fox and his YouTube channel. Should he decide to formally enter the 2024 presidential race, Scott, the only Black Republican Senator in Washington, DC, would join fellow South Carolinian and former governor Nikki Haley and former president Donald Trump as a contender for the Republican nomination. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also expected to enter the GOP race.
Scott's "Faith in America" YouTube video begins with the acknowledgement that April 12 -- the date of his expected formal 2024 announcement -- coincides with the opening shots of the American Civil War in 1861 and this country's first test of unity.
"Today, our country is once again being tested," Scott says. "Once again our divisions run deep, and the threat to our future is real."
In the video, Scott presents his conservative bona fides -- vowing to defend the nation's Judeo-Christian foundation, protect religious liberty, stand up to China, promote school choice, defend the borders, support law enforcement and protect the right to life.
The latest Winthrop Poll results for April 2023 shows seven percent of the South Carolinians polled would support Scott's presidential nomination when presented with a list of 9 possibilities. [Trump had 41%, DeSantis 20%, Haley 18%, former Vice President Mike Pence 5%, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo 2%, and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu 1%. Others on the list were former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.]
The poll also shows that 47% of the total respondents approve of the way Tim Scott is handling his job as a US Senator for South Carolina. For Republicans, the approval rating was 69%; for Democrats, Scott's approval rating was 33%.