South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott on Tuesday torched “The View” host Joy Behar’s comment that the GOP presidential hopeful “doesn’t get” systemic racism, calling it “literally the dumbest most offensive thing I’ve witnessed on TV.”
Last week, in response to Scott’s announcement that he was running in the GOP primary, Behar compared Scott, who is Black, to Clarence Thomas, saying: “He’s one of those guys … 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. He doesn’t get it. Neither does Clarence. And that’s why they’re Republicans.”
Scott was asked about Behar’s remarks Monday at the top of “The Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show,” when co-host Travis asked: “What are your thoughts when you hear someone like Joy Behar saying you don’t know what it’s like to be Black in America, and so your experience doesn’t count?”
Scott immediately referenced an old photo of Behar, who is white, wearing dark makeup to appear as a “beautiful African woman” for a Halloween costume some years ago that surfaced in 2019.
“There’s no doubt a white lady dressing up in blackface giving a Black man advice probably doesn’t ring true in anyone’s mind, certainly not my own, but … I find it offensive and disgusting and dangerous for a very different reason,” Scott said – and he was just getting warmed up.
“I’m used to the left attacking me because the truth of my life disproves their lies,” he continued. “When I helped write the tax its and jobs act, they called me a prop. When I started talking about re-funding the police, they called me a token. When I stepped forward and pushed back on President Biden’s malign agenda, they called me the n-word. I’m used to it.”
He wasn’t even at the part he found offensive yet – but he got there next: “For every young child in America wanting to think for themselves, draw their own conclusions, what they’re saying is ‘Stay in your place, don’t stick your head up because we’re going to tell you how to think.
“It is literally the dumbest most offensive thing I’ve witnessed on TV, to hear these millionaire TV personalities telling me how to live my life as a Black man,” he concluded. “But more importantly telling every child, ‘Stay in your place.’”
