South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R) on Thursday warned against a divided GOP, cautioning that Democrats could “weaponize” Republican candidates’ words against each other as they campaign for the White House in 2024.
“I think the road to socialism runs right through a divided Republican Party,” Scott said on Fox News.
“Everything we say about each other, the Democrats will weaponize against all of us, no matter who the nominee is,” he added when host Neil Cavuto noted that the senator hasn’t spoken ill of other candidates.
Scott entered the 2024 presidential race last week, joining a growing GOP primary field that includes former President Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley, the former governor of Scott’s state.
Trump said after Scott’s announcement that the South Carolina senator is “a big step up” from DeSantis, who he called “totally unelectable” — though the Florida governor has notably polled as a top competitor against Trump.
The former president and others knocked DeSantis’s Wednesday glitchy campaign launch on Twitter Spaces, but Scott on Thursday declined to comment on the event.
Asked whether he’d support Trump, DeSantis or another GOP candidate if they secure the party’s presidential nomination, Scott said, “all Republican candidates would be better than any Democrat candidate.”
“And as the nominee, I look forward to choosing [a] good vice president between the names that you mentioned, and perhaps some other ones,” he added.