The Hill’s 12:30 Report — Scott joins growing list of White House hopefuls

by Geoffrey Rowland - 05/22/23 12:50 PM ET

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–> A midday take on what’s happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha–breaks down crying hysterically.

TALK OF THE MORNING

Sen. Tim Scott officially launches 2024 bid:

South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott officially entered the 2024 race for the White House today, making the announcement at an event in North Charleston, S.C.

Scott joins other Republicans, including former President Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley who have officially announced their candidacy.

The GOP field may get more crowded in the coming weeks as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence are expected to make bids for the Oval Office.

More on Scott’s entrance into the race from The Hill’s Max Greenwood.

LET THE RUMBLE BEGIN:

Trump used Scott’s announcement on Monday to take a swipe at DeSantis, his current top rival in the Republican primary.

“Good luck to Senator Tim Scott in entering the Republican Presidential Primary Race,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable.”

The story from The Hill’s Brett Samuels.

It’s Monday, May 22. I’m Geoffrey Rowland filling in for Cate today with a quick recap of the morning and what’s coming up.

Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Send your tips and share your funny animal videos and pass along your White House or 2024 campaign gossip: ecrisp@digital-stage.thehill.com.

At the White House

McCarthy heads to the White House as debt limit showdown reaches critical stage:

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is heading to the White House today for another critical meeting with President Biden in the debt limit showdown.

Today’s meeting takes place after a phone conversation between the two on Sunday and as the June 1 date that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned is the drop dead for an agreement before the U.S. could default on its debt.

The Hill’s Mychael Schnell has the full preview.

PLAYING THE PR GAME:

McCarthy is seizing the moment in the debt ceiling debate, using public messaging while keeping his right flank satisfied in pressuring the White House.

Thus far, the Speaker has been able to unite his conference and was able to push through a House bill that paired a debt limit increase with spending cuts.

The Hill’s Emily Brooks has the fully story.

In Congress

Sen. Carper is calling it:

Delaware Sen. Tom Carper (D) on Monday announced that he will retired at the end of his current term and not seek a fifth term in the upper chamber.

Carper’s decision creates another open primary battle in a Democratic-leaning state. He is the fourth Senate Democrat to announce plans to retire at the end of this term. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) have decided to forego campaigns.

The Hill’s Al Weaver report.

In other news

NAACP causes stir with Florida travel advisory:

The NAACP on Saturday issued a travel advisory for Florida, saying that the state has become “hostile to Black Americans” due to the policies of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

“On a seeming quest to silence African-American voices, the Governor and the State of Florida have shown that African Americans are not welcome in the State of Florida,” the travel advisory reads.

DeSantis pushed back on Monday, saying through a spokesman that the comments are “nothing more than stunt.”

NAACP President Derrick Johnson defended the move on Monday, saying “the governor has perfected the art of pulling stunts to gain campaign contributions.”

BYRON DONALD’S BLASTS MOVE:

Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds, who is Black, blasted the NAACP over the move on Monday.

“I don’t even know what the NAACP is talking about,” Donalds, who is Black, said on “Fox and Friends” on Monday. “This is silly, and it’s dumb. It’s political. It makes no sense. We should be focused on making sure people actually have the opportunity to achieve, which Florida is actually doing and thriving in way better than other states, let’s say New York or California or Washington state.” (TheHill.com).

⏱ On tap

The House is in at 2 p.m., and the Senate is back tomorrow. President Biden is back from his overseas trip to continue talks on the debt ceiling.

🥃 In lighter news

Today is National Craft Distillery Day! OK, so it’s a Monday, but here’s an excuse to sip on your favorite small batch liquor.

And because you made it this far, check out this video of a Ukrainian soldier helping out a sweet kitten.