U.S. Sen. Tim Scott wears the “happy warrior” label proudly on the presidential campaign trail. He’s the chipper GOP White House hopeful, the one who consistently preaches a unity message even as his rivals revel in the politics of division.
On Friday, Scott brought an edgier, less congenial message to his appearance at the Gathering conservative political conference.
The South Carolinian sharply rebuked President Joe Biden, federal government bureaucracy and the radical left in a 45-minute question-and-answer session with the event’s moderator, syndicated talk radio host Erick Erickson.
“We elected the wrong guy. It’s time to fire Joe Biden,” Scott said. “We need to clean out (the Department of Justice); we need to clean out the White House staff; we need to clean out all the political appointees so we can restore confidence and integrity for the American people.”
Scott was the first of six Republican presidential candidates scheduled to speak at the two-day conference held at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. The lone major GOP contender absent was former President Donald Trump, who was not invited to the Gathering.
Scott, a Trump ally prior to launching a presidential bid, did not mention the Republican front-runner or the recent indictment of Trump and 18 others by a Fulton County grand jury during his appearance.
Instead, the second-term senator lobbed a barrage of criticism at Biden, his administration and Democrats on Capitol Hill for what he deemed “failures” on the U.S. economy, military readiness, banking regulation, energy policy, the border with Mexico and accountability.
He called for American voters to “break the Potomac fever.”
Scott also challenged left-leaning critics who assail him for his conservative stances. Scott is a Black American who was raised in poverty by a single mother and is often denounced for not embracing safety-net policies championed by other Black lawmakers.
“The truth of my life disproves the lies of the radical left,” said Scott, the lone Black Republican in the U.S. Senate. “I am living proof that the American dream is alive and it is well and that no matter where you start in this country, if you work hard, have strong grit, all things are possible.”
Many of Scott’s remarks attracted loud applause from those attending the conference. Scott drew a particularly strong response outlining his “Made in America” plan, which he boasts will create 10 million jobs, and how American leadership that is “strong, clear and forward-thinking” can stabilize the world.
“I keep telling folks it is not the strength of dictators, whether it is (Russian President Vladimir) Putin or (China’s leader) Xi (Jinping), it’s the weakness of the American president that causes consternation and instability around the world,” Scott said.
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