Will Tim Scott’s ‘Girlfriend’ Come Up?

Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks throughout the first debate of the GOP major season hosted by FOX Information on the Fiserv Discussion board on August 23, 2023, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Supply: Win McNamee / Getty

The Republican presidential candidates seemingly auditioning to be Donald Trump’s working mate within the 2024 election are as soon as once more set to debate the problems after they meet Wednesday night time in Simi Valley, California.

It’ll be the second Republican presidential major debate of the younger election season, however it could be the primary one that features questions of a candidate’s marital standing – or lack thereof – if the discourse in latest weeks is any indication.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the lone Black candidate who certified for Wednesday’s debate, has been attempting to place his marketing campaign able to resonate with Republican voters, notably with latest commentary about immigration and the border.

However for the lifetime of him, Scott can’t escape the scrutiny of being single and single, a subject he’s been compelled to more and more confront alongside the marketing campaign path.

Contemplating these info, likelihood is that not solely the controversy moderators will ask him about being a 59-year-old bachelor however his rival candidates may additionally broach the subject in an effort to by some means discredit his candidacy.

Scott has stated that “voters don’t care” that he’s single, however stories have claimed that Republican donors have questions on him being single.

That’s seemingly why Scott has been more and more mentioning his “girlfriend” in latest weeks.

A few weekends in the past, Scott was requested by Republican Iowa Lawyer Basic Brenna Fowl whether or not he had “any particular woman” in his life.

“I’m courting a beautiful Christian woman,” Scott replied earlier than quoting the Bible in an obvious suggestion that he might suggest to the thriller lady.

“He who finds a spouse finds a superb factor, and obtains favor from the Lord,” Scott stated earlier than kneeling and asking a chuckling viewers to wish with him.

He continued by saying that “sure,” he’s “very excited” about his “girlfriend.”

The eye to Scott’s bachelorhood seemingly first arose again in Might when NBC Information requested whether or not he “had time for a girl” in his life amid a presidential marketing campaign. Scott responded cryptically by saying “an excellent relationship with a beautiful lady” is “taking place.”

A few week later, Scott went barely extra in depth whereas casually mentioning throughout an interview with Axios that he has a “girlfriend” in response to a query about why voters would wish to hear about household values from an single man with no kids.

The eye on a candidate’s marital standing is seemingly unprecedented.

The US has not elected an single president since James Buchanan in 1856, or 167 years in the past. But it surely’s vital to notice that when Scott’s fellow single Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham ran for president in 2016, this sort of scrutiny was notably lacking from his marketing campaign.

The scrutiny may be rooted in homophobia, critics have recommended.

“‘Bachelor standing’ is code for ‘sexual id,’” Boston Globe columnist and affiliate opinion editor Renée Graham not too long ago defined. “And Republicans not eager on a candidate going through 4 legal trials could be much more unlikely to assist somebody they could consider could possibly be a closeted homosexual man.”

Scott has recommended his opponents have been planting tales within the press “to distract from our rise within the polls.” He stated his “girlfriend” can be launched to the world “in some unspecified time in the future.”

Might that “level” come on Wednesday throughout the debate when he’s all however assured to be requested concerning the subject?

Scott, for his half, stated he wasn’t frightened about having a so-called “breakout second” within the debate on Wednesday night time after critics recommended he had an underwhelming displaying the primary time round final month.

Throughout an interview this previous Sunday, Scott advised Fox Information he simply wanted to maintain “displaying 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 can be. The extra time I spend in New Hampshire, the higher off I can be,” Scott stated earlier than including later: “The excellent news is polls don’t vote, however folks do, and so I must be sure that I discover myself in entrance of the most individuals as potential on a constant foundation.”

The most recent 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.

He can be squaring off on the controversy stage in opposition to six different candidates: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum of North Dakota, Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina governor and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, former Vice President Mike Pence and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.