Sen. Tim Scott vows to not overturn the election if he loses

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC — Sen. Tim Scott, who formally launched his 2024 presidential bid on Monday, has thus far been cautious to not put an excessive amount of distance between himself and former President Donald Trump.

However in his first interview since leaping into the race, Scott made it clear to NBC Information anchor Tom Llamas that there was one space the place the 2 had been very completely different.

“Would you ever attempt to overturn an election you misplaced?” Llamas requested Scott through the intensive interview on the College of Southern Charleston.

“No,” Scott replied, noting that he was on the Capitol through the riot.

Talking with Llamas for greater than 25 minutes at his alma mater, Scott additionally drew contrasts with Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on the struggle in Ukraine and on his private demeanor and talent as a political messenger.

Tune in for the complete interview on NBC Nightly Information Monday at 6:30 p.m. ET. Actual full transcript right here.

As he did in his speech on Monday, Scott spoke of the necessity for a president who will “persuade not simply our base, however even throughout the aisle” and described himself because the candidate who can do it greatest.

“The reality is that what individuals really need is an optimistic, optimistic conservative who has a spine but additionally believes that the most effective is but to return,” Scott mentioned, including: “So I do not suppose you need to be a pessimist. to be robust.”

On Monday, Trump responded to the information of Scott’s marketing campaign launch by warmly welcoming the South Carolina Republican to the increasing Republican major subject, and used the chance to assault DeSantis, who is predicted to affix the race. this week.

“He is loading up quick with lots of people, and Tim is a giant step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is completely ineligible,” Trump added. “I completed Alternative Zones with Tim, an ideal enterprise that has been very profitable. Good luck Tim!

In response, Scott mentioned that he would “respect [Trump’s] vote too.”

Relating to the struggle in Ukraine, Trump has refused to say which facet he would like to win, whereas DeSantis, at the moment second within the polls to Trump, has drawn criticism from inside his personal occasion for calling the struggle with Russia a mere struggle. “territorial dispute”. “

In the meantime, Scott referred to as the US function in Ukraine “important,” including that President Joe Biden has executed “a horrible job of explaining” what occurs with the struggle in “America’s very important nationwide curiosity.”

He mentioned that strategic curiosity “is degrading the Russian navy.”

“The extra we degrade the Russian navy, the much less probably there shall be an assault on our sovereign territory. And it protects our NATO companions,” he mentioned. “I believe we ought to be in Ukraine. I believe the reality is easy, that demoting the Russian navy is in the most effective curiosity of the US. And the extra we try this, the quicker we do it, the higher for the complete world.” .

Scott mentioned that “clearly” the struggle is extra vital than a territorial dispute and “in fact” he desires Ukraine to win.

Scott was extra imprecise in different areas, together with what federal abortion laws he want to see if he had been within the White Home.

Addressing supporters Monday, Scott named the Mexican drug cartels and vowed to “let the most effective militaries on the earth battle these terrorists, as a result of that is precisely what they’re.”

When requested if he would order the navy to assault the cartels on Mexican soil, Scott mentioned he wouldn’t give particulars of his plan.

“Ought to we offer the mandatory assets at our border to guard our residents? Completely,” Scott mentioned. “Ought to we are saying precisely what we will do? After all not.”

“I’m merely saying that every one choices are on the desk to guard the lives of the American individuals,” he continued.

On TikTok, Scott referred to as on the US to “sever” the connection between the app and its Chinese language house owners. Llamas famous that TikTok’s servers in the US are run by Oracle, an organization co-founded by Larry Ellison, one in all Scott’s foremost donors. (Ellison was readily available for Scott’s launch on Monday.)