Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) promised, if he were elected president, he would support the “most conservative, pro-life legislation” that Congress sends him.
“If I were president of the United States, I would literally sign the most conservative, pro-life legislation that they can get through Congress,” Scott said.
“I’m not going to talk about six or five or seven or 10,” he added, pressed by NBC News about what the federal cutoff should be. “I’m just saying that whatever the most conservative legislation is that can come through Congress.”
Scott also declined to specify whether this included support for a national prohibition, stating, “I’m not going to deal with a bunch of hypotheticals,” but declared he is “100 percent pro-life.”
Since the Supreme Court removed the federal right to access abortion in 2022, abortion has been a key campaign issue for both Republicans and Democrats.
“That’s why it pains my soul to see the Biden liberals attacking every rung of the ladder that helped me climb. If the radical left gets their way, millions more families will be trapped in failing schools, crime-ridden neighborhoods, and crushing inflation. Not on my watch.
“This is personal to me. I will never back down in defense of the conservative values that make America exceptional. And that’s why I’m announcing my exploratory committee for president of the United States.”
In his announcement video, Scott didn’t mention Trump but instead went after President Joe Biden and other Democrats. He said that his life “disproves their lies,” referring to Biden and the Democratic Party.
The South Carolina senator noted that the current administration has “chosen a culture of grievance” and claimed there is a push for “victimhood” over “personal responsibility,” noting his own history in his announcement.
“Joe Biden and the radical left have chosen a culture of grievance over greatness. They’re promoting victimhood instead of personal responsibility, and they’re indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country.”
“The spoons in our apartment were plastic, not silver,” Scott said, harkening to his childhood being raised by a single mother in poverty. “But we had faith. We put in the work, and we had an unwavering belief that we, too, could live the American dream.”
Should Scott decide to run for office, he would face, at least, Trump, former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy in the Republican primary.
