South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott on Sunday evening suspended his 2024 presidential campaign.
Scott announced his decision on an episode of Fox News' "Sunday Night in America" with Trey Gowdy.
"I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, ‘Not now, Tim,’" Scott said.
The senator also emphasized he has no plans to endorse another candidate in the Republican nomination race.
"The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in," he said.
And Scott gave a thumbs down to the idea that he could serve as the running mate on the Republican Party's 2024 national ticket.
"Being vice president has never been on my to-do list," he said.
The news was a surprise to some of the senator's staff. A handful of campaign aides confirmed to Fox News that they were not given a heads-up on Scott's decision ahead of his live appearance Sunday night.
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Scott, a rising star in the GOP and the only Black Republican in the Senate, launched his presidential campaign in May at an event in North Charleston, South Carolina.
The senator repeatedly showcased his "optimistic, positive message anchored in conservatism."
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) hugs his mother, Frances Scott, as he announces his run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination at a campaign event on May 22, 2023 in North Charleston, South Carolina. (Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images) ((Photo by Allison Joyce/Getty Images))
Scott, standing just a few miles from where he grew up, highlighted that "we live in the land where it is possible for a kid raised in poverty by a single mother in a small apartment to one day serve in the People’s House and maybe even the White House."
The senator told Fox News at the time that "I’m stunned at the hunger for something positive as long as its anchored in conservatism. As long as you have a backbone."
But his positive and uplifting message failed to resonate in a combative GOP presidential nomination race dominated by former President Donald Trump, who is spotlighting his grievances as he runs a third straight time for the White House.
Scott's early momentum took a hit at the first GOP presidential primary debate in August, where he avoided the numerous verbal fistfights and rarely enjoyed the glare of the prime-time spotlight.
He told Fox News after the debate that "the loudest voices too often say too little."
Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy looks on as US Senator from South Carolina Tim Scott speaks during the second Republican presidential primary debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on September 27, 2023. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
While Scott was more aggressive in the second debate, in late September, he had fallen further behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who are battling for second place in the Republican primary polls, far behind Trump.
Scott struggled to make last week's third debate, but ultimately qualified. But he faced a tough task ahead in trying to make the stage at next month's fourth debate, where the donor and polling thresholds to qualify are higher.
Stuck in the low to mid single digits, Scott's campaign announced they were going all-in on Iowa - which leads off the GOP presidential nominating calendar - at the expense of New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the Republican schedule.
In a sign of things to come, the Scott-aligned super PAC late last month canceled its massive ad blitz on behalf of the senator's 2024 campaign.
And while Scott launched his campaign with a formidable war-chest - thanks to $22 million left over from his convincing 2022 Senate re-election - his fundraising in the July-September third quarter of 2023 was anything but impressive.
The senator had $14 million cash on hand left as of the end of September. And he touted in a Fox News Digital interview on Wednesday night, in the spin room following the third debate in Miami, Florida, that "we still have the most money of any candidate running for president other than Donald Trump."
But sources in Scott's political orbit say that campaign cash was going to be an issue going forward.
Just minutes before he announced he was suspending his White House bid, Scott's campaign sent out what would be their final fundraising email to supporters, with a subject line of "One last chance."
Reacting to the news, DeSantis said in a social media post that "Tim Scott is a strong conservative with bold ideas about how to get our country back on track. I respect his courage to run this campaign and thank him for his service to America and the U.S. Senate. I look forward to Tim continuing to be a leader in our party for years to come."
And Haley wrote that "Tim Scott is a good man of faith and an inspiration to so many. The Republican primary was made better by his participation in it. South Carolina is blessed to continue to have him as our senator."
Scott and Haley share many of the same political friends, allies, and donors, which caused some friction away from the spotlight.
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Haley, as South Carolina governor, in December 2012 named Scott, who had just been elected to a second term in the House, to the Senate to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Jim DeMint.
Scott won a special election in 2014 to serve the last two years of DeMint's term, and won re-election to six-year terms in 2016 and 2022. Scott is not up for re-election until 2026, but he said during last year's campaign that it would be his last run for the Senate.
The field of GOP presidential contenders, which ballooned to over a dozen by the summer, is winnowing.
Former Vice President Mike Pence arrives to speak at an annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Las Vegas. Pence dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House. He said in Las Vegas that "after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today." (AP Photo/John Locher) (AP Photo/John Locher)
Late last month, former Vice President Mike Pence became the first major Republican presidential candidate to drop out of the 2024 GOP nomination race.
Four GOP contenders who failed to qualify for the debates also ended their presidential bids. They are one-time CIA spy and former three-term Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, business leader and quality control expert Perry Johnson, and 2021 California gubernatorial recall election candidate and former conservative talk radio host Larry Elder.
Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who qualified for the first debate but didn't make the stage at the second and third showdowns, remains in the race for now.
Hutchinson, whose shoestring campaign is running low on cash, has said he will reevaluate his standing come Thanksgiving.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who narrowly missed qualifying for Wednesday's debate, is a multimillionaire due to his private sector success in the tech industry. He has more than ample resources to stay in the race and continues to campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire, the two lead-off states in the GOP nominating calendar.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who's making his second White House run, and multi-millionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who both made the stage at the first three debates, also remain in the GOP nomination race.
Scott's Sunday evening announcement came after he canceled a campaign swing this weekend in Iowa. His campaign said he had come down with the flu.
On his Fox News appearance, the senator said he was "looking forward to getting back on the campaign trail" after recovering from the flu. Then he broke the news that he was suspending his campaign.
His departure from the 2024 race comes less than a week after Scott unveiled the woman he's dating.
Scott - a 58-year-old bachelor - had teased during the summer and autumn that he was dating someone and said in Iowa in September that it was a "lovely Christian girl."
After Wednesday's debate, Scott appeared on stage with the woman - who's name is Mindy Noce.
