Following his announcement to vie for the presidency in the 2024 elections, Sen. Tim Scott faced off against some harsh criticism from Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of The View. Goldberg drew parallels between Scott and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, a comparison that has sparked controversy due to Thomas' contentious reputation for allegedly ruling against the welfare of minority communities.

Goldberg referred to this perceived alignment as the "Clarence Thomas syndrome," suggesting that Scott, like Thomas, was not acting in the best interest of Black and other minority communities. Alyssa Farah Griffith, Goldberg's co-host, welcomed the distinction Scott presented compared to other GOP leaders like Donald Trump, but expressed concern about the party's readiness to embrace such a candidate.

Another co-host, Sunny Hostin, joined the critique, accusing Scott of capitalizing on a narrative of "victimhood" and reinforcing the idea that the Republican party harbors a serious issue with racism.

Goldberg went on to further substantiate Hostin's argument, saying, "If he had come out and said, 'You know what, here's what has been happening and here's how I'm going to change it,' instead for me, he came out and did that dog whistle," referring to Scott's approach to discussing race and victimhood.

Hostin added that one of Scott's primary "problems" was the impression he gave of having successfully escaped poverty, which she viewed as dismissive of the reality that such success stories are more the exception than the norm.

Scott didn't take these accusations lightly. Appearing on Fox News, the senator from South Carolina defended his stance, stating, "Meekness is not weakness. I believe in the Gospel. I believe Matthew 5:44 says ‘Love your enemies' -- [but] if you break into my house, I also believe in the Second Amendment."

Scott emphasized that the best response to such criticism was not to retaliate but to disprove their claims through actions. He suggested that those like Hostin, who want to be evaluated based on their character and not skin color, were being hypocritical in their judgment of him.

Concluding his rebuttal, Scott dismissed the idea that his journey from poverty was an exception. He insisted that his life story serves to disprove the "lies of the radical left," and pointed out that a pervasive "culture of victimhood" is detrimental to the very soul of America.