Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who recently announced his exploratory committee for a 2024 presidential bid, promised to support the most conservative pro-life legislation that Congress sends him if elected president. In an interview with NBC News, he stated that he would sign whatever the most conservative legislation is that can come through Congress but did not commit to a specific time frame or federal cutoff.
When pressed about what the federal cutoff should be, he declined to give a specific number but stated that he would support the most conservative legislation that Congress sends him. He also did not specify if this included supporting a national ban, stating that he was not going to deal with hypotheticals.
Scott's abortion views could potentially put him at odds with moderate voters, as a majority of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. The issue has been tricky for Republicans since the Supreme Court removed the federal right to access abortion in 2022, with Democrats running on it in the midterm elections.
Scott recently struggled to articulate a clear position on abortion, but he made it clear that he is “100% pro-life.” He also responded for the first time to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signing Florida’s six-week abortion ban into law on Thursday, stating that the anti-abortion legislation should be celebrated.
When asked about potentially running against Donald Trump in the primary, Scott stated that Americans are looking for positive, optimistic leadership anchored in conservatism, and that he is focused on leading the country to the type of future that he wants. He also stated that he has not spoken with Trump about his possible presidential run.
Overall, Sen. Tim Scott's promise to support the most conservative pro-life legislation that Congress sends him if elected president could potentially put him at odds with moderate voters. However, he has made it clear that he is focused on leading the country in a positive and optimistic direction anchored in conservatism.
