Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., announced the launch of an exploratory committee for a 2024 presidential bid on Wednesday.
Scott, who had been teasing a White House bid for months, released the news in a video shared to Twitter — anchored around the anniversary of the start of the Civil War — in which he said the nation is once again being tested.
He also took aim at President Joe Biden, who told "TODAY" show co-host Al Roker this week that he plans to run for a second term but is not yet prepared to announce it.
"Joe Biden and the radical left have chosen a culture of grievance over greatness," Scott said in the video. "They’re promoting victimhood instead of personal responsibility, and they’re indoctrinating our children to believe we live in an evil country."
Scott, the first Black senator from South Carolina and the only Black Republican senator, argued that Democrats weaponize race when called out for failures.
The Post and Courier newspaper of Charleston, South Carolina, first reported his exploratory committee plans.
Scott could become the second GOP candidate from the state in the 2024 race. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced her candidacy in February.
Scott, 57, has been making stops across the country on his “Faith in America” tour, fueling speculation that he would become the next candidate to formally challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination.
