Why has Tim Scott dropped out of the presidential race?
Seven months after throwing his hat into the ring to become the GOP nominee to take on Biden in the 2024 elections, Tim Scott has suspended his campaign.
Always considered a bit of a longshot, Tim Scott finally threw in the towel on Sunday evening. The South Carolina Senator made his announcement live on Fox News during an interview which caught both his campaign staff and donors by surprise.
Scott started his campaign in May this year and was seen as a potential candidate that could beat Democratic President Joe Biden in a head-to-head competition in the 2024 Elections.
Why has Tim Scott drops out from the presidential race?
“I love America more today than I did on May 22. But when I go back to Iowa, it will not be as a presidential candidate. I am suspending my campaign,’” Scott told Sunday Night in America host and former GOP US Rep. Trey Gowdy who is also from South Carolina. “I think the voters, who are the most remarkable people on the planet, have been really clear that they’re telling me: ‘Not now Tim.’”
The lone Black Republican in the US Senate over the summer enjoyed a modest, yet measurable bump in opinion polls in some states. While his optimistic and forward-looking vision for the nation earned him positive favorability numbers, those never translated into sufficient support among primary voters.
Scott also didn’t convince supporters of Donald Trump, who is by far and away the frontrunner, by over forty points, that they should move on. This was in spite of millions spent by high-profile donors on his behalf and that the former president is facing 91 criminal felony charges in both state and federal courts.
Additionally, he failed to stand out and create a lane of his own in the crowded GOP primary field which currently has six contenders remaining besides Trump. His lackluster performances at the three Republican debates did not aid in these efforts.
His star was outshone by former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley who has now moved into second place in early-state primary polls. She is expected to pick up much of Scott’s financial support from donors, two of his major donors have already said they will switch to Haley and a third is leaning toward backing her campaign.