Tim Scott 'Beard' Reactions Explode On Social Media

U.S. Senator from South Carolina Tim Scott seems to be on throughout the second Republican presidential main debate on the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, on September 27, 2023. | Supply: ROBYN BECK / Getty

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott was given the primary query of Wednesday evening’s Republican presidential main debate, however his reply was inappropriate to homophobic critics on social media apparently distracted by his newfound facial hair.

That’s proper, the usually clean-shaven White Home hopeful appeared to have spouted a mixture of quick black and grey hairs round his mouth in a brand new look that wasn’t greeted warmly on the app previously referred to as Twitter.

On the identical time, social media customers employed twisted homophobic humor on the irony of Scott showing to develop a beard amid Republican-led questions on his private life.

In between the primary debate final month and Wednesday evening, Scott was the topic of an onslaught of consideration centered on the truth that he, at age 58, has by no means been married.

Although Scott first stated in Could that he had a “girlfriend” – somebody whom he has been compelled to more and more discuss in current weeks – Republican donors reportedly nonetheless expressed concern on the senator being single.

Quick-forward greater than 4 months later and the id of Scott’s “girlfriend” stays unknown.

Scott stated earlier this month that his “girlfriend” can be launched to the world “sooner or later.”

That was proper across the identical time that the Washington Put up reported that “six mates” of Scott “stated they didn’t learn about a lady in his life.”

Republicans have touted themselves because the occasion of conservative values, which apparently contains viewing single adults suspiciously. However others have steered the eye to Scott’s singleness is rooted in one thing else fully.

“‘Bachelor standing’ is code for ‘sexual id,’” Boston Globe columnist and affiliate opinion editor Renée Graham not too long ago defined in reference to the hullabaloo about Scott’s single standing. “And Republicans not eager on a candidate dealing with 4 felony trials is perhaps much more unlikely to help somebody they may imagine might be a closeted homosexual man.”

So when Scott debuted his goatee on Wednesday evening, the ensuing commentary took a homophobic route as social media customers famous that the phrase “beard” was additionally a slang time period for an individual who dates somebody of the other intercourse so as to conceal their homosexuality.

The eye has sparked ongoing chatter on social media pointing to the epidemic of homophobia throughout the Republican Social gathering as what’s fueling the questions on Scott’s private life.

Remarking on the varieties of “beard” puns being shared on social media reacting to Scott’s goatee, one submit quipped that “the jokes write themselves.”

Scott’s new goatee might have been a choice to attempt to attract consideration to his marketing campaign though he simply stated days in the past that he wasn’t apprehensive about having a so-called “breakout second” within the debate on Wednesday evening after critics steered he had an underwhelming exhibiting the primary time round final month.

Throughout an interview this previous Sunday, Scott advised Fox Information he simply wanted to maintain “exhibiting up” to fulfill with potential voters in influential states and never take note of polling numbers.

“The extra time I spend in Iowa, the higher off I will probably be. The extra time I spend in New Hampshire, the higher off I will probably be,” Scott stated earlier than including later: “The excellent news is polls don’t vote, however individuals do, and so I have to be sure that I discover myself in entrance of the most individuals as potential on a constant foundation.”

The newest nationwide polling discovered Scott trailing the front-runner Trump by double-digits at a distant fourth place with simply 6% of voters supporting his candidacy — a drop from his excessive of 11% in July.