(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., strongly criticized the “vile and disgusting” attacks directed at him following his endorsement of former President Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
Political pundits and some critics on social media have accused Scott — a black man — of “sucking” up to Trump and compared his endorsement to the “great emasculation,” potentially referencing the “Great Emancipator” phrase associated with Abraham Lincoln and the liberation of the slaves.
But Scott made it clear he was fed up with the attacks in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Friday: “The most racists in the country are liberals,” Scott declared.
“The bigotry that comes from the far, radical left is just normal these days. Why? Because they’re just not trying to attack me; they are trying to make sure any other minority will think for themselves and consider the GOP. They want to send a message to every single one of them: ‘Step out of line and we’ll attack you too,’” he added.
Scott, a former presidential candidate, endorsed Trump, the GOP front-runner on Jan. 20. “We need a president who will close our southern border today,” Scott said during a New Hampshire speech. “We need Donald Trump.”
The endorsement dealt a blow to Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor, who had close ties to Scott. Notably, Haley appointed Scott as a senator in 2012. Since the endorsement, Scott has emerged as a potential running mate if Trump, the presumed nominee, secures the Republican nomination.
While on Hannity, Scott called on minority voters to back Trump to “make America the greatest nation.” He specifically said: “To every single African American, Hispanic, millennial—anybody in the majority population or minority population—if you believe in conservatism, stand up and be counted.”
He continued, “If you want to make America the greatest nation on God’s great earth, step into the fire because we have to save this nation,” Scott continued.
Hannity pointed out that Scott is being considered as a potential running mate for the 2024 ticket, presumably alongside Trump or Haley.
“You are going to be on anybody’s shortlist to be potential vice president of our country. … Is this the means of just trying to intimidate you, threaten you or maybe threatened by you,” Hannity asked. To which Scott replied: “They’re certainly threatened by me and threatened by people like me.”
Scott added, “Here is what they refuse to say. They refuse to say the truth: under Joe Biden, crime in devastated neighborhoods, crime in impoverished neighborhoods, crime in black neighborhoods has skyrocketed.”
