On Sunday evening, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott announced that he was suspending his 2024 presidential campaign. Scott made the announcement on Fox News’ “Sunday Night in America” with Trey Gowdy, stating that he was responding to the voters who had made it clear that they were not ready for him to run for president at this time.
Scott’s campaign had been struggling in the polls, with the senator failing to gain traction in a crowded field of Republican candidates. Despite entering the race in May with more cash than any other Republican candidate, Scott was unable to find a lane in a field dominated by former President Donald Trump. In a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, Scott was only commanding consideration from about 4% of voters, putting him in a distant fifth place behind the frontrunner, Trump.
Scott’s decision to suspend his campaign came as a surprise to many, including some of his own campaign staff. A handful of aides confirmed to Fox News that they were not given a heads-up on Scott’s decision ahead of his live appearance Sunday night.
In his announcement, Scott emphasized that he had no plans to endorse another candidate in the Republican nomination race. “The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in,” he said. He also gave a thumbs down to the idea that he could serve as the running mate on the Republican Party’s 2024 national ticket, stating that “being vice president has never been on my to-do list”.
“I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, ‘Not now, Tim,’” Scott said.
Scott’s decision to suspend his campaign is a significant development in the 2024 presidential race, which is already shaping up to be a highly contested and unpredictable contest. With Scott out of the race, the field of Republican candidates has narrowed slightly, though it remains interesting with a number of high-profile contenders, including former President Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy.
