Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, did his best impression of celebrity icon and actor Mr. T during a Fox News interview Thursday.
Fox host Neil Cavuto mentioned to Scott that he did some background research, finding out the South Carolina Republican was a huge fan of “Rocky III.”
“Tell me that is not true,” Cavuto quipped.
“Rocky III,” which starred Sylvester Stallone and Mr. T, was one of the most popular boxing movies in the 1980s. The film turned Mr. T — who was born as Laurence Tureaud and starred in the hit television series “The A-Team” — into a household name.
“Well, listen I’m gonna bust you up, sucka,” Scott told Cavuto, making a reference to a line Tureaud’s character, James “Clubber” Lang, said in the 1982 film. “That’s what Mr. T said to Rocky.”
“So … of course, the response to that, of course Neil, was ‘go for it.’” Scott added. “And so I would just say, ‘let’s go.’ ‘I love Rocky III.’”
The Fox News host replied, “I pity the fool who thinks otherwise,” as Scott also mimicked the popular Mr. T catchphrase.
The lighthearted moment comes as Scott continues to campaign amid a saturated field of 2024 presidential candidates vying for the Republican nomination. He launched his bid earlier this year, joining former President Trump, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, among others.
Scott has an uphill battle to win the GOP nomination, however, as Trump is still widely seen as the Republican front-runner, according to polling.