With a cadre of Senate Republicans unenthusiastic about former President Donald Trump winning the party nod in 2024, many are warming up to an alternative: one of their own.
Although they have not flat-out endorsed him, a slew of Senate Republicans heaped praise on Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) as speculation swirls that he will jump into the 2024 fray in the coming weeks.
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“Tim can win. He can win the presidency,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said, per PunchBowl News. “The former president, his day is past. We lost the House, we lost the presidency, and his candidates lost us the Senate. So if we want to win, we need somebody who can win.”
Cassidy has been critical of Trump in the past, and he even voted to convict him during the second impeachment trial. When asked about Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who has consistently polled second to Trump in a hypothetical primary, Cassidy said, “I don’t know about that, but I think Tim Scott can.”
Scott was first appointed to the Senate in 2013 by former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), who has announced her 2024 candidacy. He went on to defend his seat twice. Over recent weeks, he has embarked on a "Faith in America" tour in early primary states such as Iowa.
“It looks to me like Tim is going to run in the lane ‘It’s morning in America,’” Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) told the outlet, referencing a Ronald Reagan ad. “And I think there’s clearly a lane for that message. Is it a one-lane gravel road, or is it a 12-lane interstate? I don’t know, but he’ll find out.”
His fellow Republican, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who endorsed Trump, contended that Scott would be a formidable candidate.
“Nothing against [Scott], I thought President Trump was a good president on all the things that I cared about … and I feel some loyalty to help him,” Graham said, per the outlet. “Tim would be a great candidate if he chooses to run. He’s certainly in the top one or two for VP, for sure.”
Even more centrist members of the Republican Senate Caucus commended Scott, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mitt Romney (R-UT).
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“When you think about people who could sit down in the living rooms in Iowa and New Hampshire, you see him there, and you can see people saying, ‘Hey, that’s the person I support,’” Romney said. “If he decides to run, he’ll be the real deal.”
Scott has polled in a distant 10th place in the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate. So far, Haley, Trump, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are the only prominent Republicans who have declared their candidacy.