Despite being Black, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) isn’t exactly a popular figure in Black America. And up until recently, he didn’t appear eager to appeal to Black voters either. The South Carolina Senator generally eschewed conversations around race in his Presidential run unless it was to tell everyone that racism isn’t an issue anymore or that welfare was worse than slavery — a message that generally lands much better with white audiences than Black ones.
But Former President Donald Trump’s sudden interest in the Black vote, or at least in driving enough Black voters away from former President Joe Biden to win in 2024 — seems to have rubbed off on Scott.
Earlier this month, Scott launched a weekly podcast, “America’s Starting Five” with the pretty intent of drawing Black voters to the Republican party. The podcast features Scott and other four other Black Republicans, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), Rep. John James (R-MI), and Wesley Hunt (R-TX).
“Here are four non-Black, Black people,” joked Scott during the first episode, a thinly veiled reference to Biden’s heavily maligned comments saying Black Americans who don’t vote for him “ain’t really Black.”
It’s not just the podcast that points to a shift in Scott’s strategy.
While promoting Trump on Fox News, Scott argued that Black voters should support Trump because we were “better off under Trump.” The Senator falsely claimed that Black unemployment was the lowest ever under Trump.
This apparent strategic shift seems tailor-made to appeal to Trump, who has seemingly convinced himself that Black voters adore him because of his criminal charges. However, polling suggests that the overwhelming majority of Black Americans believe the legal actions against Trump were “appropriate.”
Scott’s team has made no secret of his interest in him becoming Trump’s running mate. And if he can prove his ability to pull disgruntled Black voters from Biden to Trump, that’s a pretty big asset.
The majority of Black Americans don’t hold a favorable opinion of Trump, and tell pollsters they don’t plan to vote for him. However, Trump has been polling somewhat better among Black men — giving hope to some Republican operatives of a Black swing to their party, that has yet to materialize.
For Scott’s part, his appeal to Black voters hasn’t exactly borne out in the past. The New York Times previously chronicled Scott’s attempt to run for a state senate seat in a majority Black district, which ended in a cataclysmic 30-point defeat.
But perhaps talking about how much Black voters love Trump will be enough to elevate him to the Vice Presidency.