There soon
could be
another South Carolina Republican.
In addition
to Nikki Haley seeking the 2024
presidential nomination,
Tim Scott,
the party's only black senator,
may launch his own campaign.
He's kicked off
what his team is calling
a national listening tour
and is expected to speak next week
in early primary state of Iowa.
Just last night,
he was keynote speaker
at an event in Charleston
Our Gary
Tuchman was also there
and talked with voters
plus a packed ballroom
with many of South Carolina's
Republican movers and shakers.
I'm retired. I used to be a banker.
I made other people rich.
This is the city
and county of Charleston, South Carolina.
The occasion,
the fifth annual
Black History Month banquet
sponsored by the county Republican Party.
The keynote speaker
South Carolina Republican U.S.
Senator Tim Scott. My story
is the American story.
And Scott's story
could soon include running for president.
I am running for president
of the United States of America.
His fellow
South Carolinian, former
Governor Nikki Haley, already is.
These Republicans in the Palmetto State
are enjoying the attention.
And we were definitely a Trump state.
And and
I think people still have
a great deal of feeling for him.
But then there's a baby, Nikki.
She decided she's going to run
and there's a lot of passion
for her, too.
Larry Karofsky is a Republican,
Charleston County Council member.
Well, it makes you feel pride
because both of them
are legitimate contenders.
And you could imagine
either them being president.
And indeed, a number of Republicans
we talk to here
are ready to commit
to one of their fellow South Carolinians.
I love Tim Scott.
I just feel like
he's got our best interests at heart.
That's true,
but not necessarily
on the top of the ticket.
If you could set your own ticket,
who would you vote for for president of
the Santos and Haley
would be vice president
or to Santos.
And Tim Scott would be vice president.
My suspicion
is that the one that will be
electable will be the.
But Mark Knapp,
a lifelong Charles Etonian,
still thinks Donald Trump can win
and is ready to vote for him again.
I don't know if Nikki's really got
what it takes to deal with the swamp.
What about Tim Scott
if he announces he's
running for president?
I like Tim a lot,
but I haven't seen the demeanor.
I think it's going to take
some wrestles
with little scalawags in Washington.
There are some Democrats
who came to the scale to celebrate
Black History Month,
but most everyone else
we talked to did
vote for Donald Trump twice
However,
we met
quite a few
who are looking for a fresh face.
Wouldn't you vote for Trump again?
Trump is divisive.
He is.
He continues to play
divisive politics cards
and he hasn't grown up since.
I don't think I'm on the side
of leaning towards where we've been.
I'm more focused on leaders
of presenting new opportunities
and where we could go from here.
Does that mean that you're not leaning
towards voting for Donald Trump?
That's that would be my personal
preference, yes.
Not surprisingly, at this early stage,
the majority of people we talked to say
they are not sure who
they will vote for yet.
I've been a Republican since 1988
and I was a freshman in college
so I am very dedicated to the party.
But you don't know which Republican
you like just yet to sound.
And that's
what the chair of this county's
Republican Party,
Maurice Washington, likes to hear.
He wants this campaign
to be a competition, not a coronation.
This is not going to be this part to see
and allow the former president to
walk through
Gary joins us now from Charleston.
During Senator Scott
speech, did
he raise the possibility of running
Senator Scott to not mention
the presidential race
during a speech, Anderson,
but before the speech,
he held a short session
with journalists, local journalists,
not admitted
were the national journalists.
A reporter
from The Post and Courier,
which is the daily newspaper here
in Charleston, asked the question.
Will he endorse Nikki Haley?
His response to her was, quote.
Next question.
Also, the paper says
a question was asked to him
what would lead him
to going into the presidential race?
And his answer to that was, quote,
I'm not going to dodge your question,
but I'm also not going to answer it.
There you are.
Which is an answer in and of itself.
Gary Tuchman, appreciate it.
Thank you.
Perspective now
from former
Republican Congressman Adam
Kinzinger, who's now a CNN
senior political commentator.
So it certainly seems like
some Republicans
are ready to move on
from the former president.
Do you think they actually want to move
on from Trumpism?
Well, that's a good question.
And, you know,
I think what's
what's interesting right
now, so Nikki Haley
and by the way,
I'm actually personally at Tim Scott's
and I know him personally.
He's a good man.
But Nikki Haley,
she has an opportunity
to distinguish herself.
Let's just take the issue of Ukraine.
You know,
Donald Trump has been very clear.
He would cut off aid to Ukraine.
Ron DeSantis really
hasn't said anything about Ukraine.
And Nikki Haley could be.
Keep in mind,
most Republicans still support us
supporting Ukraine in that war.
But she's kind of avoided that issue.
She's going out of her way
to not distinguish herself
from Donald Trump.
And I personally think that means a
she may be just making
a play for vice president.
But the other thing be
I think it means that she's
not, I think missing the opportunity
to be different
because you have to distinguish herself
from Trumpism.
So I think there's to be a lot of people
that in the Republican Party
still a bit like Trump or Trumpism.
But I think there's a real opportunity
for the person to come forward
and present an optimistic,
hopeful scenario for the future.
I mean, how tarnished
is she by her association
with the former president?
I mean, when
you know when the back in 2015 2016
she was supporting Marco Rubio.
She was, you know,
saying some
very tough things about
then candidate Donald Trump.
Obviously,
she went to work for him ultimately.
Yeah.
I mean that's like
99% of Republicans out there
have that sense.
And so I think in her case,
I think what's done
damage to her when it comes to Trump
is the fact that she has been for him
and against him
then for him
then against them wasn't going to run
and then it's now running.
So though that like Donald Trump,
they already don't trust her.
Those who don't like Donald Trump don't
trust her.
She has an opportunity
to distinguish herself
as far as being involved
in the administration.
She actually did a really good job,
I think, as U.N. ambassador.
So I don't think being in
the administration
is necessarily going to taint her.
It's been her Yes.
And knows hot and cold on Donald Trump.
How formidable,
formidable do you think
Tim Scott would be?
I look, I'll tell you,
since
I've since I even met Tim Scott in 2011,
I was elected with him in the house.
I always had in my mind,
this guy is at least going
to make a solid run for the presidency
and probably be president.
There is most people may know his name.
They don't know his story.
Once his story gets out there,
it's really breathtaking.
His whole life is breathtaking.
And I think he's always been my kind of
dark horse
candidate in this race
that I think
nobody was talking about
until fairly recently.
But I see him
as not not a great comparison,
but kind of Bill
Clinton in 92
who came out of nowhere
and ended up rocketing to the top.
There already I mean, Nikki Haley,
Tim Scott, Mike Pompeo, I mean, Bolton
it seems like there's already
a fair number of people, you know, in in
getting close
to running in one form or another.
It seems like there's going to be
I mean do we risk.
Is there the risk of a
you know of a huge field
that then benefits the former president?
There's a huge risk.
Huge risk. Just like 2016 happen.
It really could happen again now
and it's a big worry for Republicans.
Adam Kinzinger, I appreciate your time.
Thanks very much.