Topline
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced the suspension of his presidential campaign Sunday, as lagging poll numbers raised questions about his ability to make the party’s next primary debate.
Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina speaks during the Republican Presidential Debate at the Adrienne … [+] Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
The Washington Post via Getty Images
Key Facts
Scott announced his exit from the race on Trey Gowdy’s Fox News show Sunday Night in America, saying the voters have been “really clear” in telling him “Not now, Tim.”
The South Carolina Republican said he didn’t believe the voters had rejected him or were saying “no” to him, rather simply “not now.”
Scott also refused to endorse any other candidate in the race, saying the “best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in,” adding that the voters were “really smart.”
The U.S. Senator also ruled out the possibility of becoming the eventual candidate’s running mate, saying “being vice president has never been on my to-do list.”
Scott is the second major candidate to drop out of the 2024 race after former Vice President Mike Pence.
News Peg
According to the Associated Press, Scott’s announcement was sudden and appeared to catch many of his staffers and donors off guard. Citing an unnamed member of Scott’s campaign, AP reported that many of his campaign staffers found out about it while watching the interview on Fox. During the interview, even Gowdy appeared surprised by the announcement at first, saying he was still trying to “process this information” on live TV, before heaping praise on Scott.
Crucial Quote
Scott’s primary rival and fellow South Carolina Republican Nikki Haley praised the Senator after his announcement, tweeting: “Tim Scott is a good man of faith and an inspiration to so many. The Republican primary was made better by his participation in it. South Carolina is blessed to continue to have him as our senator.”
Big Number
2.2%. That is the percentage of Republican voters who would vote for Scott in the Republican primaries, according to an aggregate of major polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight. This put Scott in a distant sixth place among all candidates, just behind former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and ahead only of North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.
Further Reading
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott abruptly ends 2024 presidential bid, shocking even his campaign staff (Associated Press)