Tim Scott says Im running for president of the United States in announcement speech live – The Guardian US

12.16EDT

In his presidential campaign announcement speech, Tim Scott recounted his upbringing from poverty, discounted the impact of racial inequality on Americans lives and restated conservative policy goals, from cutting taxes to building a wall along the US border with Mexico.

As he wrapped up his address, he vowed to promote on the campaign trail a friendlier form of conservatism.

This cant be another presidential campaign. We dont have time for that. We need a president who persuades not just our friends and our base, he said. We have to have a compassion for people who dont agree with us.

He closed with these words: I am living proof that God and a good family and the United States of America can do all things, if we believe. Will you believe it with me?

In the months to come, well find out if Republican voters share his faith.

Updated at 12.16EDT

Tim Scott has said the magic words.

Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every single rung of the ladder that helped me climb and thats why Im announcing today Im running for president of the United States of America, the senator said to applause and cheers in his kick-off speech in North Charleston, South Carolina.

He began the speech by recounting his upbringing from poverty and downplaying the impacts of racial disparities in the economy, saying Im living proof that America is the land of opportunity and not a land of oppression.

When it comes to policy, the senator is outlining familiar conservative priorities.

On my first day as commander in chief, the strongest nation on earth will stop retreating from our southern border, he said.

He embraced the conservative demand to deploy the military against drug traffickers, and vowed to restart construction of the border wall pioneered by Donald Trump.

When I am president, the drug cartels using Chinese labs and Mexican factories to kill Americans will cease to exist. I will freeze their assets, I will build the wall and I will allow the worlds greatest military to fight these terrorists. Because thats exactly what they are.

Updated at 12.02EDT

Tim Scott is on stage now announcing his presidential bid.

America is the greatest nation on Gods green earth, the senator began. And our greatness doesnt come from politicians, doesnt come from the government. It comes from we, the people.

And when I think about the greatness of America, I have to start with my favorite American, Scott said, before inviting his mother up. Thank you for your hard work and your dedication. Thank you for believing in me when no one else did.

Updated at 12.23EDT

The senates number-two Republican John Thune just gave an introductory speech at Tim Scotts campaign kick-off event in South Carolina, where he called him the real deal who would make a great president of the United States.

Bloomberg reports that Scott has picked up support from another high-profile, and deep-pocketed, ally: Larry Ellison, CEO of tech juggernaut Oracle:

SCOOP: Oracle Corp. chair and co-founder Larry Ellison, will be in attendance at South Carolina Senator Tim Scotts formal campaign launch today in North Charleston, SC.

Updated at 11.14EDT

Republican senator Tim Scott will in a few minutes officially kick off his presidential campaign with a speech in North Charleston, South Carolina, making him the latest entrant to the increasingly crowded Republican field.

A senator since 2013, Scott is the only Black Republican in the chamber, and will be the second South Carolinian in the presidential race, after former UN ambassador Nikki Haley.

He will probably not be alone in announcing his bid for the White House this week. Florida governor Ron DeSantis is expected to kick off his presidential campaign with a speech on Wednesday.

Updated at 10.58EDT

Joe Biden will meet with Republican speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy in the Oval Office at 5.30pm eastern time, the White House has announced.

The goal will be to reach a deal to increase the debt ceiling before 1 June, when the US government may run out of money and default on its obligations for the first time in history. McCarthy and the GOP have demanded spending cuts in exchange for this votes to raise the limit, a prospect that Biden has resisted.

The president cut short his trip to Asia last week over the impasse, and returned to Washington yesterday from Japan in order to ensure a deal is done before the end of the month.

Updated at 10.39EDT

If Donald Trump is so dominant in the polls, why are Tim Scott and other Republicans jumping into the race to challenge him? Partly because election day is more than a year away, and things could change. Partly because running for president is what many politicians aspire to do. And surely because, though they wont say it, the former president appears to be in a lot of trouble perhaps enough to eventually derail his campaign. Heres the latest from the Guardians Hugo Lowell on the investigation into his alleged possession of classified documents:

Federal prosecutors have evidence Donald Trump was put on notice that he could not retain any classified documents after he was subpoenaed for their return last year, as they examine whether the subsequent failure to fully comply with the subpoena was a deliberate act of obstruction by the former president.

The previously unreported warning conveyed to Trump by his lawyer Evan Corcoran could be significant in the criminal investigation surrounding Trumps handling of classified materials given it shows he knew about his subpoena obligations.

Last June, Corcoran found roughly 40 classified documents in the storage room at Mar-a-Lago and told the justice department that no further materials remained at the property. That was later shown to be untrue, after the FBI later returned with a warrant and seized 101 additional classified documents.

Updated at 09.56EDT

A major story happening today is the ongoing negotiations over the debt ceiling, which must be raised by about 1 June in order to prevent a potentially devastating default by the US government. Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy are supposed to meet at some point today to make progress on an agreement, though the timing of that rendezvous has not yet been announced. Heres the latest from Reuters on the talks:

US president Joe Biden and House Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy have held a productive phone call on the continued impasse over the debt ceiling and promised to meet on Monday after Biden returned to Washington.

McCarthy, speaking to reporters after the call, said there were positive discussions on solving the crisis and that staff-level talks were set to resume later on Sunday.

Asked if he was more hopeful after talking to the president, McCarthy said: Our teams are talking today and were meeting tomorrow. Thats better than it was earlier. So, yes.

Updated at 09.40EDT

The task for any Republican candidate not named Donald Trump this year is simple: try to convince the GOP rank-and-file to choose you over the ex-president.

The problem is that Trump tops just about every poll looking at the GOP primary field these days, and usually with a mammoth gap. But Tim Scott plans to do his best, and a Republican adviser strategist told Politico more about his path to overtaking Trump.

Their demeanors, their messages, their life stories are just so diametrically different, the adviser said, and Scott will likely highlight that distinction when he speaks in North Charleston, South Carolina to kick off his campaign.

Scott has also received a boost from his colleagues in the Senate. Politico has confirmed that the second-ranking GOP lawmaker in the chamber, John Thune, will endorse his candidacy.

While today is his official campaign launch, Scott has been touring the country for a few weeks now, particularly early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. The Guardians Joan E Greve spent time among the crowds who greeted him in the Granite State for this look at what his pitch is to Republican voters:

About 45 minutes into his New Hampshire town hall, Tim Scott said he needed to reveal a secret to the Republican voters who had gathered to hear from the presidential hopeful.

Listen, this might surprise some of yall, Scott told attendees with subtle laughter in his voice. He paused briefly: Im Black.

The line was met with loud laughter from the mostly white crowd, and it underscored the unique role that Scott faces in the Republican presidential primary ahead of the 2024 election. The 57-year-old senator of South Carolina and erstwhile Donald Trump ally, who filed paperwork on Friday to declare his presidential candidacy ahead of a formal launch event on Monday, hopes to become the first Black politician to win his partys nomination and go on to defeat Joe Biden in the general election next November.

Updated at 09.07EDT

Good morning, US politics blog readers. Today at 11 am eastern time, South Carolinas senator Tim Scott will officially announce his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. He joins an increasingly crowded field of challengers to Joe Biden that already includes former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and Arkansass ex-governor Asa Hutchinson, and will soon see the arrival for Florida governor Ron DeSantis. But when it comes to the Republican field, the question today remains the same as it has for months, if not years: can anyone unseat Donald Trump from his post as the most popular man in the GOP? Polls consistently show the former president at the front of the pack, with DeSantis a distant second and Scott in the single digits. The senator is the GOPs only Black lawmaker in the chamber, and with his slogan Faith in America appears ready to adopt a more optimistic tone compared to Trumps fear-and-grievance driven campaign. Well see if its enough to break through the field.

Heres what else is happening today:

Joe Biden will at some point today sit down with Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy to once again try to find agreement on raising the debt ceiling, as the 1 June default deadline grows alarmingly near.

Speaking of senators, Delaware Democrat Tom Carper will this morning announce if he will run for another term, but even if he steps aside, the seat is considered safe territory for Bidens party.

Kamala Harris is continuing her trip to California, where shell meet with the leaders of tech firms to talk about semiconductors and the Biden administrations efforts to spur more domestic manufacturing of the vital component.

Updated at 08.29EDT

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Tim Scott says Im running for president of the United States in announcement speech live - The Guardian US