Republican Scott abandons attempt to become president, surprises staff

NOS News•today, 07:13

Republican Senator Tim Scott is giving up the fight to become his party’s presidential candidate. Although he never seemed to have any chance against Donald Trump, his staff was still overwhelmed by the news: they had to hear his decision on TV.

“I think voters, the most extraordinary people on the planet, made it clear to me: ‘Not now, Tim,’” he said on Fox News. Scott did not want to say which candidate he will support. “The voters are smart enough themselves.”

According to the AP news agency, his employees only learned at that moment that the American politician was dropping out of the race. Fifteen minutes before the broadcast, an email had even gone out with a call for donations.

Scott presented himself in May as an alternative to former President Trump, with a more positive tone. However, he struggled to distinguish himself. In the polls he remained at around 2 percent, while Donald Trump has more than 50 percent of the Republican base behind him.

Within a party that sees the family as the cornerstone of society, 58-year-old bachelor Scott mainly made the news with speculation about his partner. The woman he is in a relationship with remained out of the picture for a long time, until she suddenly stood next to him at a campaign meeting without any introduction.

Scott’s departure comes two weeks after former Vice President Pence became the first prominent candidate to end his campaign. This leaves seven Republicans in the race with Trump: (former) governors Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson and Doug Burgum and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Of them, only DeSantis has more than 10 percent in the polls.

The first primaries will be held in the states of Iowa and New Hampshire in January. Whoever wins the party’s nomination will then be able to compete against President Biden on November 5.