Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott reacted Monday evening to his appearance on ABC's "The View" earlier in the day, where he engaged the panelists regarding his contention his life story is the rule, not the exception to how all Americans can succeed.
However, panelist Joy Behar was noticeably absent from the dais – which "Hannity" host Sean Hannity connected to the liberal comedian's comments that Scott is "like Clarence Thomas" in being a "Black Republican, who believes in pulling yourself by your bootstraps rather than, to me, understanding the systemic racism that African-Americans face in this country and other minorities."
Behar claimed neither Scott, nor the Supreme Court justice who grew up equally impoverished just 100 miles down the coast from him in Savannah, "doesn't get it."
Scott told "Hannity" the upbringing part was correct:
TIM SCOTT FIRES BACK AT ‘THE VIEW’ AFTER ‘CLARENCE THOMAS SYNDROME’ ATTACKS
"Plastic spoons, not silver spoons," he said.
"Can you imagine an extreme liberal elitist telling me how to be a Black man in America when she's a White lady who dresses up in blackface? I can't believe the hypocrisy that comes out of that show sometimes," Scott said
Behar previously dressed up as a "beautiful African woman" – in her words – for a Halloween party when she was 29, which later led then-Baltimore Republican candidate Kimberly Klacik to famously confront her about the purported "Blackface" during a 2020 "View" airing.
On "Hannity," Scott said liberals writ-large don't believe minorities can attain high goals by themselves, and instead support policies that "keep minorities at the bottom of the ladder, and then they remove the rungs of the ladder to climb."
TIM SCOTT SPEAKS OUT ON STOPPING DEMOCRATIC POLICIES ‘RUINING AMERICA’
"We are a meritocracy. Your talent, your character, your grit take you as high as you're willing to climb. But according to their policies, they take the first three rungs of the ladder out," he said.
Hannity went on to credit lead "View" panelist Whoopi Goldberg with admonishing the audience when it booed Scott at one point, saying the senator should have just as much right to speak on the program as any guest.
Scott received praise during "The View" from conservative panelist Alyssa Farah-Griffin, but sparred with liberal panelist Sunny Hostin. Panelists Sara Haines and former Jeb Bush aide Ana Navarro also questioned Scott on Monday.
The senator told Fox News he does not view himself as running against a "field" of candidates but running "to be" president.
"I'm running … to make sure that the next generation of the American dream makes mine pale in comparison to what they're able to accomplish," he said.
"So making sure that we remain the freest, fairest land on God's green Earth is my objective. And I'm so thankful that I have the blessing of running for president in the only country where this is possible."
"And frankly the truth of my life disproves every single lie from the pit of Hell that we're hearing from the radical left."
