Sen. Tim Scott Targets Chinese Communist Party in Latest Campaign Ad Over Buying Farmland

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announces his run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination at a campaign event in North Charleston, South Carolina, on May 22, 2023. Allison Joyce/Getty Images

Presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) says he'll fight to stop the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from buying farmland, promising support for the American farmer.

“Senator Tim Scott is a conservative fighter for American farmers. Tim Scott supports the Renewable Fuel Standard and believes E15 should be sold year-round,” said the one-minute ad released on Sunday. “Scott is working to pass a new farm bill that will strengthen our food security and create economic growth in rural communities, and he’s fighting to stop the Chinese Communist Party from buying up our farmland.”

Mr. Scott says in the ad: “I have the deepest appreciation for the hard-working farmers who feed our nation and fuel our cars. As president, I will support the production of ethanol and other homegrown biofuels.

“I will stop China from buying our farmland, and I will fight for fair trade to ensure our farmers have access to foreign markets. God bless Iowa and the bountiful harvest you provide to our nation each and every year.”

According to RealClearPolitics’ latest “2024 Republican Presidential Nomination” poll rankings, Mr. Scott is in the sixth position with 2.7 points, led by former president Donald Trump who is way ahead of the pack with 54.5 points.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis follows a distant second with 14.8 points, and catching up to him is businessman Vivek Ramaswamy with 6.3 points. Former Vice President Mike Pence follows with 5.2 points and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley with 3.5 points.

In New Hampshire, Mr. Scott is tied with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, with 6.7 points in third place. Here, President Trump leads with 41.7 points, followed by Mr. DeSantis with 17.7 points.

American Farms in Chinese Hands

The Department of Agriculture (pdf) estimates that foreign investors held an interest in approximately 40 million acres of U.S. agricultural land—including forest and farmland—in 2021. Out of this, China owned 383,935 acres.

There is an increasing effort from both sides of the political aisle to reduce Chinese ownership of land in the United States.

In May, a bipartisan proposal was introduced in the House that sought to block CCP affiliates from gaining control over American farmlands.

The “Protecting America’s Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act” was introduced by Reps. Dale Strong (R-Ala.) and Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), and is identical to the earlier S.926 bill sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

“The United States can no longer turn a blind eye to the threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party. As the CCP looks to exploit weaknesses in our free and open society, it is our responsibility to ensure that the American people are protected against those who seek to undermine our national interest,” Mr. Strong said in a May 16 press release.

“We must be able to effectively monitor who is growing, producing, and marketing our food safety and agriculture products. Lacking that ability is a clear threat to national security.”

The China Threat

Lawmakers have recognized the CCP as America’s greatest foe—economically and militarily.

“Beijing presents an especially grave threat to the homeland,” Iranga Kahangama—assistant secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk, and Resilience of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—told the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence during a May 23 hearing.

“We must match our adversaries’ determination through a whole-of-government response, with DHS playing a leading role on the front lines of that defense every day.”

A poll conducted in March asked 1,795 American adults about their view on the greatest threat to the United States among the countries of China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba.

A whopping 61 percent majority viewed China as the biggest threat to the nation.

The concern was shared among people irrespective of politics, with Democrats and Independents siding with Republicans on the issue.

Besides the CCP, Mr. Scott emphasized Iowa’s position as a critical producer of ethanol in the country.

Experts have talked about Mr. Scott as a viable potential running mate for President Trump’s campaign.

“I think he’s a very good guy. We did opportunity zones together … Tim is very good,” President Trump said. “I mean, I could see Tim doing something with the administration, but he’s right now campaigning, and I’m sure Tim and everybody else would say I’m only interested in one, but Tim is a very talented guy and you have other very talented people.”

President Trump has hinted at choosing one of the GOP opponents as his vice president if he wins the election.

“Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!” he posted on Truth Social.