'I’m a sinner not a saint!' Nancy Mace excuses joking about premarital sexual intercourse at prayer breakfast

Asher Notheis

July 27, 04:57 PM July 27, 05:00 PM

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has defended remarks she manufactured throughout a Republican prayer breakfast on Wednesday, exactly where she joked about rejecting sexual intercourse from her fiance to be on time for the function.

Footage of Mace's speech at the party, where by she produced the joke, was shared on social media Thursday early morning. Mace stated in the course of her physical appearance at the prayer breakfast that she turned down sex with her fiance on Wednesday early morning because "I obtained to get to the prayer breakfast," introducing that she would see her fiance "later tonight."

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Immediately after the clip went viral, Mace took to X, the social media platform previously recognized as Twitter, to clarify her remark. "I go to church since I’m a sinner not a saint!" Mace wrote on Thursday afternoon. "Happy people in attendance, including Tim Scott and my pastor, took this joke in stride. Pastor Greg and I will have additional to talk about on Sunday."

Mace's clarification of her joke obtained varying ranges of reaction.

The prayer breakfast Mace attended was the 13th Yearly South Carolina Prayer Breakfast, which was hosted by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC). Other persons in attendance at the breakfast incorporated Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), together with Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and William Timmons (R-SC).

“The very good news for people of us who are listed here is that on our thirteenth anniversary, we have performed in the final 13 decades what we will do this year - which is go away our political dissimilarities at the doorway,” read a assertion from Scott in a press release. “This is an prospect for us to certainly celebrate religion and celebrate South Carolina, and not rejoice pink or blue, black or white, but just a risen Savior and the pleasure of living in a state in which that’s attainable.”

The Washington Examiner contacted Scott for remark.

Sen. Tim Scott takes the first step toward a 2024 presidential run

W. James Antle III

April 12, 06:39 AM April 12, 06:51 AM

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) announced Wednesday that he is launching a 2024 exploratory committee, the first step toward running for president.

Scott, 57, is testing whether to join a Republican presidential field dominated by former President Donald Trump. It also includes former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, a fellow South Carolinian and former governor of that state, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-AR).

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and former Vice President Mike Pence are also widely believed to be considering runs. DeSantis is likely to make a decision by the conclusion of the Florida legislative session next month.

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Scott’s travel itinerary strongly suggested he was taking a look at the race. He is headed to Iowa and New Hampshire, the first two states on the Republican primary calendar, before heading to a summit in his native South Carolina, which will also come early.

An exploratory committee would allow Scott to fund that travel as well as polling to test his viability. He would then be able to transfer the money to a campaign if he entered the Republican nomination contest.

Scott was first elected to the Charleston city council in 1995, serving multiple terms and becoming chairman in 2007. He was elected to the lower house of the state legislature in 2008, serving two terms.

In 2010, Scott won a competitive Republican primary for Congress, defeating the sons of two former governors: Paul Thurmond, whose father was also a longtime U.S. senator from South Carolina, and Carroll A. Campbell III. Scott and Thurmond went to a runoff, which the former won by more than 30 points. Scott went on to win the general election, becoming the first black Republican elected to Congress from South Carolina in over 100 years.

Scott was reelected in 2012, this time running unopposed in the Republican primary and beating the Democrat by more than 30 points. But he didn’t stay long. Haley, then governor of South Carolina, appointed him to fill the vacancy created when Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) stepped down to become president of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

That appointment made Scott the first black senator from South Carolina, the first black Republican senator since Sen. Edward Brooke (R-MA) was defeated for reelection in 1978, and the first black Southern senator since Reconstruction. There were two periods in 2013 when Scott was the only African American member of the Senate.

Scott would go on to win an election to the final two years of DeMint’s term in 2014, which was also the year Republicans finally captured the Senate under former President Barack Obama. Scott was reelected to full terms in 2016 and 2022. In 2021, he delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress, receiving generally positive reviews.

A conservative, Scott has been active in police reform negotiations with Senate Democrats and helped pass criminal justice reform legislation under former President Donald Trump. Though he and Haley initially supported Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), presenting an image many hailed as that of a new diverse GOP, Scott skillfully navigated the Trump years.

If Scott were to seek the GOP presidential nomination, he would be the highest-ranking black official to do so. Alan Keyes and Arthur Fletcher were assistant Cabinet secretaries under Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon, respectively. Herman Cain was a businessman and prominent spokesman for conservative causes. Ben Carson was a neurosurgeon and author who became secretary of housing and urban development under Trump.

Colin Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under George H.W. Bush and national security adviser to Reagan, who became secretary of state under George W. Bush, was touted as a possible candidate for the 1996 Republican presidential nomination but never ran.

“My grandfather voted for the first man of color to be reelected as president of the United States,” Scott said at his victory rally last year. “I wish he lived long enough, long enough to see perhaps another man of color — and this time, vote for a Republican and not a Democrat.”

A presidential run would also put Scott at odds with his erstwhile ally Haley. The two share donors and supporters in common, as did Floridians Rubio and Jeb Bush in 2016, and would both presumably look to South Carolina as a launching pad for their campaigns.

The South Carolina primary proved decisive to the nominations of the elder Bush in 1988, Bob Dole in 1996, the younger Bush in 2000, John McCain in 2008, and Trump in 2016, though a win there did little to boost Newt Gingrich in 2012.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was unable to parlay his status as the Palmetto State’s senior senator into a workable presidential candidacy in 2016. He dropped out before the first votes were cast in late 2015, ultimately becoming a Trump ally.

Haley wouldn’t be Scott’s only obstacle. He received 0.8% of the vote in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls, good for 10th place behind such longshots as former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and former Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ).

Scott wasn’t included in the most recent Reuters poll and received 1% in a Trafalgar poll. He would enter what is so far predominantly a Trump-DeSantis contest, assuming the Florida governor eventually declares, with considerable ground to make up. Trump leads in the current national polling, but the picture in the early states is murkier.

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Scott is viewed as a skilled orator with an inspiring story. During his politically formative years, he won the support of Tea Party groups and the Club for Growth.

“If you want to understand America, you need to start in Charleston; you need to understand and appreciate the devastation brought upon African Americans,” Scott said in February. “But if you stop at our original sin, you have not started the story of America because the story of America is not defined by our original sin. The story of America is defined by our redemption.”

Iowa Republicans 'shop around' for 2024 alternative to Trump

Cami Mondeaux

February 23, 04:00 AM February 23, 04:00 AM

DES MOINES, Iowa — Nearly 100 Iowans packed into the Reading Room on the third floor of the Cowles Library at Drake University on Wednesday, huddling together in the small study space to learn more about prospective 2024 candidate Tim Scott (R-SC).

Many who attended Scott's speech said they weren’t entirely familiar with his background or experience, while others told the Washington Examiner they were simply taking advantage of the opportunity to hear a potential presidential candidate speak.

Several attendees described the event as a chance to scope out alternatives to former President Donald Trump as the GOP primary field for 2024 begins to take shape.

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“I'm very open-minded. I used to be a registered Republican, now I'm an independent, and I just [want to] see who I align with the most,” said Jennifer Pittham, a graduate of Drake University who attended the event on Wednesday. “I’m just trying to shop around and see who I like the most.”

Although Scott has not yet declared a run for president, the South Carolina senator has fueled speculation by embarking on a national listening tour, a move that followed the launch of his Opportunity Matters Fund PAC late last year.

Scott, who is the only black Republican in the Senate, is trying to position himself as a "common ground" conservative in what could end up being a crowded GOP primary in 2024. However, he has made a habit of working in the background since he arrived in the upper chamber in 2013 — possibly losing out on the national name recognition some of his would-be rivals enjoy.

“I'm interested in Tim Scott as a candidate. I identify more as a libertarian, but I think that he could definitely be a good choice,” said John Grant, a student at Drake University. “I’m just kind of exploring candidates that you don’t [see] a whole lot of media attention about.”

The comment came during Scott’s second stop on his national “Faith in America” listening tour as the South Carolina senator attends several campaign-style events throughout central Iowa. His trip coincides with that of several other prospective GOP candidates flocking to the Hawkeye State as the primary cycle begins to ramp up.

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley made her first trip to Iowa on Monday, holding a campaign event just one week after she announced her White House bid. Haley, like Scott, has called for a fresh brand of leadership, billing herself as the best candidate to help lead the country past "division and distractions."

"We’re ready. Ready to move past the stale ideas and faded names of the past. And we are more than ready for a new generation to lead us into the future,” Haley said in her campaign announcement video.

The remarks echo Scott's speech in Des Moines on Wednesday, where he denounced Democratic politicians who feed "the empty calories of anger to people who are starving for hope."

Mike Pence has also made the rounds in Iowa, speaking at an event with Advancing American Freedom last week. Although he has not yet declared his intent to run, Pence is positioning himself as a principled conservative.

The former vice president split with Trump, who still today holds on to unfounded allegations of election fraud, after he decided not to stand in the way of the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

The bombastic former president continues to command strong support from the grassroots of the Republican Party, and dislodging his grip over the GOP could prove difficult in 2024, especially if the primary field becomes crowded.

Current polling shows Trump leading the field of prospective candidates, with roughly 50% of Republican voters saying they’d vote for him in 2024, according to Morning Consult. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) comes in second at 30% support, with Haley and Pence tied at 6%.

Trump, who announced his third presidential bid three months ago, has yet to make his way to the state, considered important to 2024 hopefuls given the first caucuses of the primary cycle are held there, at least for the GOP this year. Trump has a mixed record in Iowa. He narrowly lost the caucuses in 2016 to then-candidate Ted Cruz (R-TX), only to win the general election later that year. He won both the caucuses and general election there in 2020.

Although Trump is noticeably absent from the state, he nonetheless ramped up his operation there on Monday, with his campaign naming Marshall Moreau as the state campaign director. In 2022, Moreau managed the candidacy of Republican Attorney General Brenna Bird, who defeated Democratic incumbent Tom Miller.

Trump also has one of his national campaign team members, Alex Latcham, based in Iowa.

Only Trump, Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy have announced their White House bids, but several others are expected to follow in the coming months.

Some voters the Washington Examiner spoke to expressed an openness to a larger primary pool.

“I think a large group of candidates would be kind of interesting,” Grant said. “It wouldn't … be good or bad because it would split the votes, probably among the two front-runners like DeSantis and Trump. So, it'd be kind of interesting — interesting to see if, like, a dark horse actually won because the votes were split.”

Tim Scott war chest gives possible advantage as he considers presidential run

Cami Mondeaux

February 21, 09:57 AM February 21, 09:57 AM

As Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) eyes a White House bid in 2024, the South Carolina senator benefits from a massive campaign war chest and fundraising strength that could give him a boost over other presidential contenders.

Although Scott has not declared whether he intends to run for president, speculation of a possible White House bid began to rise in early February after the senator hired former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and longtime Republican operative Rob Collins to lead his super PAC.

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Scott launched his Opportunity Matters Fund in September in an effort to boost several GOP candidates during the midterm elections. Since then, he has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on purchasing ads as he mulls a presidential bid.

Meanwhile, Scott has positioned himself as a top fundraiser during the 2022 midterm cycle, raising more than $43 million for his reelection campaign, according to records from the Federal Election Commission. That fundraising haul leaves Scott with nearly $22 million on hand as of Dec. 31. The senator can transfer that money to a presidential committee should he choose to run.

That puts Scott above former President Donald Trump, who reported having $3 million on hand at the end of last year, according to campaign records.

Trump has struggled with a slow fundraising start, but the former president is looking to boost his standing by hosting a dinner for some of his top donors at his Mar-a-Lago home on Thursday, marking his first fundraiser of the 2024 cycle.

Scott is also planning to make the rounds this week. He is expected to attend a donor conference in Austin, Texas, on Friday hosted by former George W. Bush adviser Karl Rove. That conference will give top contenders, such as Scott, former Vice President Mike Pence, and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, a chance to secure top donors as they vie for the White House.