Tim Scott: A Man the GOP Should Get Behind
On Wednesday, April 28th, President Biden gave his first speech to a joint session of Congress. Immediately following the President’s address, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) gave the official Republican response to the speech. Scott’s speech could be described as predictable, basic, or bland; he hit mainstream GOP talking points on school reopenings, immigration, and President Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure bill. But Scott’s speech also highlighted his character and marketability on a mainstream level. He did not question Biden’s ability to be president. He did not excoriate President Biden’s personality. Instead, he focused on actual issues, and his response showed that he has a future as a Republican leader.
Official party responses to joint session addresses like Biden’s are often made by young politicians looking to make a name for themselves. Though obviously overshadowed by the president’s address, they are nevertheless opportunities to showcase political ability for those with future political aspirations. Past Republican speakers who have gone on to pursue executive positions include Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, and Bobby Jindal. This time, Scott showcased his political ability in his response.
Senator Scott’s speech was a good one in strictly rhetorical terms. His delivery was slow, deliberate, and eloquent. He stayed focused on GOP ideas regarding race, government spending, and immigration. Like traditional conservatives, he decried government expansion and emphasized individualism while speaking directly to the public: “Our best future will not come from Washington schemes or socialist dreams,” he said. “ It will come from you, the American people.”
The speech's themes showed that it is possible for the GOP to take an approach to minority political status absent clinging devotion to President Trump. Trump was mentioned once by name, and that was in relation to the success of vaccine development under Operation Warp Speed. He did not attack the legitimacy of President Biden’s election or linger on claims of election fraud, which continues to cleave party leadership. In January, he voted to certify the results of President Biden’s victory.
Despite his continued efforts to be involved in public discourse, President Trump won’t hold much sway over politics over the next four years. With Democrats controlling Congress and the White House, Republicans should focus on offering reasonable criticisms of Biden’s large spending proposals, foreign policy, and progressive agenda. Scott’s speech showed what this could look like. He criticized Biden’s bloated infrastructure bill and talked about material results delivered by Republicans over the last four years, including funding for HBCUs, Operation Warp Speed’s vaccine development, and low unemployment numbers prior to the pandemic. By highlighting actual issues instead of petty name-calling or personal insults, he rose above criticisms of the president seen across right-wing social media and amongst prominent politicians.
The topic which garnered the most polarized response was Scott’s criticism of progressive views regarding race. He criticized new education initiatives about racial issues and highlighted his own life story as an example of potential success despite racial setbacks. “America is not a racist country,” he proudly said. As the only Black Republican Senator, Scott has occupied a unique spot among the GOP’s top politicians.
He embodies much of the Republican ethos regarding race. He grew up poor with a single mother in the South and is descended from Black farmers. He worked at his own business, got involved in local politics, then ran for national office. He epitomizes the idea that race should not be essential to a person’s character and that anyone can pursue the American Dream through hard work. “We are not adversaries,” he said. “We are family. We are all in this together, and we get to live in the greatest country on earth. The country where my grandfather in his 94 years saw his family go from cotton to Congress in one lifetime.” Scott’s success story and rise from humble origins is admirable and should be applauded by anyone who respects the success of Black politicians.
Because of his position as a Black conservative, he has had to endure attacks on his character and race. In his speech, he criticized progressives and liberals who have lobbed racial epithets toward him regarding his role as a GOP lawmaker. In the days leading up to the speech, Washington Post reporter Glenn Kessler published a fact check of his family story about his grandfather, who dropped out of elementary school, worked on a cotton farm, and is a large inspiration to Scott. The piece didn’t reveal any fraud on Senator Scott’s part as its misleading headline implies; the only real claim made was that land which was owned by Scott’s great-grandfather was a large amount of property for the time and that it was in “quite impeccable” condition. The story received backlash from a range of politicians, such as Bakari Sellers, a Democrat from South Carolina, and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who questioned the motivations behind questioning Scott’s background story.
He has shown that he is unafraid to discuss issues regarding race as a Black Republican and has acted independently of fellow Republicans on the issue. In 2017, following the Charlottesville protests, Scott met with President Trump to discuss the president’s perception of the issue and his remarks on the topic. In 2018, Scott opposed the nomination of one of Trump’s judicial nominees over his connections to past intimidation campaigns of Black voters, which effectively killed the nomination. Meanwhile, in June 2020, he led the GOP effort to pass a police reform bill that would have incentivized the usage of body cameras and withhold federal money from departments allowing chokehold practices. The bill was ultimately filibustered and killed by Senate Democrats.
Despite that setback, Scott continues to try to reach a bipartisan answer to police reform, and has shown he is willing to sit down and discuss solutions with progressives. He has been in talks with Democratic representatives Cory Booker and Karen Bass about how to find a compromise on the issue.
Despite once claiming that his 2022 Senate reelection campaign would be his last, speculation still swirls about the White House ambitions of the young, energetic senator. If he decides to make a potential presidential run, then he has set himself up as someone who would have immediate potential from day one of the race.
Republicans should embrace Senator Scott and the kind of leadership he exemplifies. Regardless of whether Senator Scott runs for President in 2024, his speech showed what the GOP could look like over the next four years. He has shown willingness to speak independently and reach across the aisle to solve issues he cares about. He criticizes the merit of President Biden’s policies, not the character behind them. Scott’s speech proved that the GOP would be wise to center on him as a representative of the party.
Senator Scott’s full speech can be seen here, and a transcript can be accessed here.
Photo via the New York Times
