Faith and personal responsibility were the cornerstones of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s message to California Republican Party’s convention attendees on Friday.
“I want Californians to know all things are possible,” Scott said. “If you’re able-bodied in America, you work. If you take out a loan, you pay it back. If you commit a violent crime, you go to jail. If God made you a man, you play sports against men.”
In a sit-down conversation with party chair Jessica Millan Patterson, Scott laid out generalities on topics ranging from support for law enforcement to the southern border, from fentanyl to education, largely sticking to topics he’s given in the primary campaign thus far.
The party that stands for parents is the “Great Opportunity Party,” Scott, one of four Republican presidential hopefuls tapped to speak at the CAGOP event this weekend, told a cheering audience.
“When parents have a choice, the kid has the best chance to succeed in life,” he said. “If we are to win the education debate in this nation, we are going to have to break the backs of the teachers’ union.”
Similar to former President Donald Trump, who spoke at a luncheon prior, Scott lambasted the current administration for “devastating families around the nation.”
Biden’s “spending level is so high it’s unacceptable,” Scott said to applause.
He continued: “We as Republicans need to rally around firing Joe Biden.”
Scott’s speech was delayed Friday because Trump spoke longer than was scheduled. Scott ended up speaking for only around 15 minutes.
General admission seating to hear the senator was $200 per person; preferred seating was $300.
With a “nice guy” reputation and higher favorability ratings, Scott, 58, has largely stayed optimistic on the campaign trail thus far. He often invokes his Christian faith and his upbringing in the South.
And on Friday, he mostly stayed true to that persona, not mentioning his primary opponents at all, instead taking shots at Democrats. At one point, he stepped off the stage to address attendees right where they sat.
Some of the attendees, who had come straight from the luncheon featuring Trump, were still donning hats and shirts bearing the former president’s name or campaign slogan. Sitting round tables draped in red, white and blue tablecloths, some sipped on wine and nibbled on snacks while Scott spoke.
“There’s no doubt that the truth of my life destroys the lies of the radical left,” said Scott, who has often invoked his upbringing in a lower-income, single-family household while on the campaign trail. “My mother taught me prayer is the key … can I get an amen?”
Prior to the Republican events of the week, some Southern California voters said they wanted to hear more from Scott as the campaign continues. But a September survey of likely California Republican voters found that 1% said they would vote for Scott for president — that’s a 4% drop from a survey in June.
Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, where he’s served since 2013, if elected president would become the country’s second Black president.