Republican South Carolina Senator and presidential candidate Tim Scott hit back at “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg, along with others in the liberal media, who accused him of being ignorant to racism.
Scott, a black man, announced his 2024 presidential candidacy in a Monday speech emphasizing his personal background and success in America. He declared “I am America” and criticized the “radical left” for “pushing us into a culture of grievances instead of a culture of greatness.”
Goldberg accused Scott of having “Clarence Thomas Syndrome,” alluding to being a black Republican, and co-host Sunny Hostin said his message that black Americans can make it in this country is out of touch. Others in the liberal media invoked his race to attack him politically, going as far to accuse him of turning a blind eye to racial tensions in the U.S.
“Both of those African Americans on that TV screen, they both have made it. So I’m not the only one. Actually, the rule is simple…the rule is the future of our country is not defined by the color of our skin. It’s defined by the quality of our education. The radical left has been bought out by big labor unions in education, trapping poor kids in failing schools and trapping poor kids out of the best future they have. What can we do about that? African Americans are around 68%, Hispanics are around 70%, the majority of the population around 80%, all agree with some form of school choice. Let’s bring opportunity to these kids,” he told Fox News’ Harris Faulkner.
Scott called on the country to respect people for the “content of their character” and “not the color of their skin.” He accused the “radical left” of being outraged by any African American or black conservative who fights against their agenda. (RELATED: Joy Behar Lectures Tim Scott, Clarence Thomas On Racism, Says They Don’t Understand It)
“Here’s what we’re seeing. The radical left is quaking in their boots because when they see an African American conservative who believes in the future of this nation, stands up to be counted, they push back. That’s a good sign. We’re on the right message,” he said.
Scott has historically been a left-wing target due to his race. In 2021, Hostin claimed on “The View” that Republicans picked Scott to rebuke President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address because he is black. Others on the political left accused Scott of being a “token” after he drafted legislation for police reform after the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020.