Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Wednesday praised the 2024 presidential election pitch from his fellow South Carolina GOP senator, Tim Scott, saying that “it comes from the heart.”
Scott announced earlier in the day that he is launching an exploratory committee for president, setting himself up to potentially become the newest entry into the Republican primary and challenger to former President Trump for the GOP nomination.
“I know America is a land of opportunity, not a land of oppression. I know it because I lived it,” he said in a video announcing the committee’s launch.
Graham, a close ally of Trump who joined the former president for a campaign event in South Carolina earlier this year, complimented Scott’s sincerity behind his pitch for the presidency.
“When it comes from Tim Scott, it comes from the heart,” Graham tweeted. “My friend and colleague Tim Scott has one of the most compelling stories in American politics and the country as a whole.”
Graham said Scott is a “thought leader” for conservatism “on all fronts” and a steady voice for social conservatism. He said Scott’s knowledge of the U.S. economy and “belief in the benefits of capitalism” make him uniquely positioned to move the country forward.
Graham said he is proud of Scott and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who launched her bid for the presidency in February, for showing “what our state has become.”
“Tim will be a powerful force in the 2024 election cycle if he chooses to run,” he said.
Scott is preparing to visit the early primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina this week. The exploratory committee will allow him to raise money for a potential presidential run, covering the cost of polling and travel.
“This is personal to me. I will never back down in defense of the conservative values that make America exceptional,” he said in the video.