Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will reveal on May 22 whether he plans to run for president, a development that would add a major player to the GOP primary field.
Mr. Scott told a crowd at a Charleston school that he would unveil his plans at an event in North Charleston.
While he didn’t say if he planned to run, he called it a “major announcement” and said it is “time to make the final step,” the Associated Press reported.
Mr. Scott formed an exploratory committee earlier this month, a decision that allowed him to raise money for polling and travel.
If he decides to run, he will be facing former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who appointed Mr. Scott to the Senate in 2013 before Mr. Scott won elections to retain his seat.
South Carolina is also a pivotal state that weighs in on candidates early in the primary season.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson recently joined the race, and another candidate — business entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — has been a frequent presence on television.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will likely join the GOP field, making him another formidable foe, though Mr. Scott focused his attacks on liberals and President Biden in a video to launch his exploratory committee this month.
“I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression. I know it because I lived it,” Mr. Scott said in the three-minute clip. “That’s why it pains my soul to see the Biden liberals attacking every rung of the ladder that helped me climb. If the radical left gets their way, millions more families will be trapped in failing schools, crime-ridden neighborhoods and crushing inflation. Not on my watch.”
Mr. Scott is well-liked by colleagues and upbeat, offering a contrast to Mr. Trump’s dire warnings about the direction of the country, and he is the only Black Republican in the Senate.
“I think my candidacy is really designed around what the American people want to talk about, what their priorities are, and what their issues are,” Mr. Scott told the AP.
The Democratic National Committee has attacked Mr. Scott as part of the “MAGA agenda” that will include national abortion bans and cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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