Source:
The
Washington
Post
/
Getty
Senator
Tim
Scott
announced
that
he
would
be
ending
his
campaign
to
be
the
Republican
presidential
nominee
over
the
weekend,
surprising
many.
Republican
Senator
Tim
Scott
appeared
on
Fox
News
for
an
interview
with
former
GOP
politician
and
friend
Trey
Gowdy
on
Sunday
(November
12)
“I
love
America
more
today
than
I
did
on
May
22.
But
when
I
go
back
to
Iowa,
it
will
not
be
as
a
presidential
candidate.
I
am
suspending
my
campaign,”
he
said
while
taking
part
in
the
interview
from
his
home.
“I
think
the
voters,
who
are
the
most
remarkable
people
on
the
planet,
have
been
really
clear
that
they’re
telling
me,
‘Not
now,
Tim,’”
Scott
continued.
“I
don’t
think
they’re
saying,
Trey,
‘No.’
But
I
do
think
they’re
saying,
‘Not
now.’”
When
asked
by
Gowdy
if
he
would
lend
his
support
to
any
of
the
remaining
candidates
for
the
Republican
primary,
the
lone
Black
candidate
demurred
and
expressed
that
“the
best
way
for
me
to
be
helpful”
would
be
not
to
offer
an
endorsement.
He
also
ruled
out
becoming
a
vice-presidential
nominee.
“I
ran
for
president
to
be
president,”
he
said.
“I
think
I
was
called
to
run.
I
was
not
called
to
win,
but
I
certainly
was
called
to
run.
…
Being
vice
president
has
never
been
on
my
to-do
list
for
this
campaign,
and
it’s
certainly
not
there
now.”
The
news
came
as
a
surprise
to
many
–
including
members
of
Scott’s
own
presidential
campaign
team
and
his
donors
who
tuned
in
to
Gowdy’s
program.
Scott
did
call
his
campaign
aides
after
the
interview
to
confirm
his
decision,
sources
close
to
the
campaign
said.
One
donor,
metal
mogul
Andy
Sabin
said
to
reporters
that
he
was
“disappointed
but
not
surprised”
at
Scott’s
choice.
Scott’s
decision
comes
after
the
last
Republican
debate,
where
he
offered
up
a
paltry
showing
in
comparison
to
the
other
candidates.
His
campaign
message
which
was
imbued
with
positivity
and
an
emphasis
on
conservative
Christian
values
wasn’t
going
over
well
with
voters
who
are
still
fixated
on
former
President
Donald
Trump.
Major
donors
had
already
been
pulling
ads
for
him
at
the
beginning
of
October.
“Tim
ran
an
optimistic,
hopeful
message
—
but
that’s
not
where
the
Republican
base
is
right
now,”
an
unnamed
GOP
official
said.
It
also
comes
after
Scott’s
reported
girlfriend
attended
the
Miami
debate,
causing
a
flurry
of
questions
over
her
identity.
