Sen. Tim Scott
It was a day of triumph for Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, as President Trump and the Republican Congress passed a massive tax cut for the American people just in time for Christmas.
But liberals besmirched the happy event by drawing attention to Scott’s race with a racist insult.
Andy Ostroy, a contributor at the far-left Huffington Post, sneered on Twitter: “What a shocker… there’s ONE black person there and sure enough they have him standing right next to the mix like a manipulated prop. Way to go @SenatorTimScott. #trump #taxscambill.”
But Scott did not take the insult lying down. He fired back on Twitter.
Uh probably because I helped write the bill for the past year, have multiple provisions included, got multiple Senators on board over the last week and have worked on tax reform my entire time in Congress. But if you’d rather just see my skin color, pls feel free. https://t.co/KLLNXqIZ3i
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) December 20, 2017
Reeling from the massive blowback on Twitter, Ostroy apologized.
.@SenatorTimScott, earlier I tweeted something that I now agree was unfair. Senator, I regret that tweet & apologize for it. There were many other ways I should’ve and could’ve made my point.
— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) December 21, 2017
Scott was indeed prominently featured during the celebratory press event. But he was hardly a token. President Trump personally thanked Scott, calling him “incredible” and inviting him to come up to the podium to “get the glamour and the glory.”
Scott was deeply involved in the crafting of the tax bill and the lobbying for its passage. His prized Investing and Opportunity Act was included in the bill, which the senator triumphantly declared “will bring trillions of dollars into distressed communities because of [President Trump’s] willingness to listen.”
Scott also hailed the tax bill as a victory for the average American:
To those Americans who are watching this process: This is not about Washington. It’s not about the left. It’s not about the right. It’s about single parent moms who are looking for a reason to be hopeful in 2018. This tax reform plan delivers for the average single mother a 70 percent tax cut. This is a plan we can be proud of because it speaks to the hearts of everyday Americans.
Scott continued via Twitter his defense of the bill’s importance for Americans who are struggling financially.
I grew up in a single-parent household, w/ a mom who worked 16 hours a day I know what it feels like to live paycheck to paycheck. I know what it feels like when you’re hopeless. I can relate, and I feel your pain. I see you. We see you. #TaxReform
— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) December 1, 2017
Scott is the first black senator elected in the South since Reconstruction. Of the three black senators from the South who have served, including Scott and Mississippi’s Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce, all were Republicans.
