The 2024 Republican presidential primary is officially growingโฆ
On Monday, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott officially launched his presidential campaign during a campaign event in North Charleston, where he grew up.
โHere's a kid that grew up in North Charleston, South Carolina, mired in poverty, in a single parent household. To think about one day being the President of the United States just tells me that the evolution of the American soul continues to move toward that more perfect union,โ the senator stressed.
โThere's not a better place to have a conversation than on a campus with a spirit of academic excellent and a Christian environment and that Charleston Southern University. So I'm glad to be here at the home of the Bucs,โ Scott added.
Last week, South Dakota Sen.ย Mike Roundsย (R) became the first Senator to openly endorse a candidate other than Donald Trump.
โI think he is the closest to Ronald Reagan that you're going to see,โ he said.
Rounds praised Scott as a candidate who would โbring our country togetherโ and โcares deeply about making the right decisions.โ
โI believe he will build a good team. He's got a business background. He's got a great personal story and he understands and he truly cares about people,โ the South Dakota senator told the Washington Examiner.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) also reportedly plans to endorse Scott's presidential campaign.
โI think he'd be a great candidate. I'm excited about it. I've been encouraging him,โ Thune told The Hill back in April. โI think he's getting a lot of encouragement from his colleagues. He's really well thought of and respected and I think he'd be a really interesting candidate for president.โ
โ[I] told him to let me know when he wants to come to Northwest Iowa. It's right next to South Dakota and I tell him I'll come out for him or against him โ whichever helps him the most,โ he added.
Scott joins a growing list of Republican presidential hopefuls. Former United Nations ambassadorย Nikki Haleyย announced her campaign earlier this year, along with tech mogulย Vivek Ramaswamyย and former President Donald Trump. Former Arkansas Governor and staunch Trump critic Asa Hutchinson joined the race earlier this spring, followed by conservative commentator Larry Elder.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is also expected to jump into the race this week.
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