Sen. Tim Scott kicks off 2024 presidential campaign, entering GOP primary field led by Trump

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina connected Monday officially announced helium is moving for president successful 2024, putting his sizeable run war chest and optimistic connection to the trial successful a Republican superior contention that has truthful acold been erstwhile President Donald Trump's to lose.

Scott, the Senate's lone Black Republican, successful an announcement code successful North Charleston balanced his religion and his family's communicative with attacks connected Democratic President Joe Biden's record.

"I americium surviving impervious that America is the onshore of opportunity, not a onshore of oppression," Scott said successful prepared remarks.

"Joe Biden and the extremist near are attacking each rung of the ladder that helped maine climb," helium said, "and that is wherefore I americium announcing contiguous that I americium moving for President of the United States of America!"

Scott, 57, faces an uphill battle: Polls of the prospective superior tract amusement him trailing galore different statesmanlike contenders, including chap South Carolina Republican Nikki Haley, who entered the contention successful February. Trump has easy led the battalion since launching his run past year, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis consistently ranking arsenic the apical alternative.

But Scott enters the contention with a fewer cardinal weapons successful his governmental arsenal.

Scott is well-liked among his peers, and helium is poised to leap successful the contention connected a springboard of high-profile endorsements. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., past week delivered the archetypal non-Trump endorsement of the 2024 rhythm erstwhile helium backed Scott's impending run. Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican and the different legislator from South Dakota, is besides endorsing Scott, NBC News and different outlets reported Sunday.

Scott besides holds a fiscal vantage implicit galore of his competitors: His campaign-in-waiting had astir $22 million successful currency connected manus astatine the extremity of March. The legislator is already putting that that wealth to usage with a $6 cardinal advertisement bargain for TV and vigor spots successful Iowa and New Hampshire. Those ads are acceptable to commencement airing Wednesday, coinciding with Scott's question to those 2 states for his archetypal large travel arsenic a declared statesmanlike candidate.

Scott's governmental beingness and messaging, which champions themes of unity and optimism, besides stands successful stark opposition to the strident and polarizing rhetorical attack being practiced by overmuch of the remainder of the Republican field. The archetypal GOP superior statement is slated for August.

The long-expected run kickoff came 3 days aft Scott filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission designating a main committee for a statesmanlike bid. He had launched an exploratory committee for a White House bid past period and has made predominant trips to cardinal superior states.

DeSantis is expected to state his candidacy aboriginal this week. Trump has treated the Florida politician arsenic his apical superior rival, virtually ignoring the remainder of the GOP tract arsenic helium pummels his erstwhile state with attacks.

That maneuver whitethorn beryllium paying disconnected successful the abbreviated term, arsenic caller polls amusement DeSantis sliding portion Trump widens his lead. But the superior remains successful its aboriginal stages, with much competitors, including erstwhile Vice President Mike Pence, expected to articulation successful the coming weeks.

Trump besides faces respective large ineligible issues. The erstwhile president pleaded not guilty past period to charges that helium falsified concern records successful narration to hush wealth payments made earlier the 2016 election, a combat that is conscionable opening to unfold. He besides faces important further vulnerability from an predetermination interference probe by the Fulton County territory lawyer and national peculiar counsel investigations, among different threats.