Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised Republican Sen. Tim Scott Friday evening, just hours after the South Carolina lawmaker officially filed paperwork to run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination.
"Great statement by @votetimscott," Musk wrote in a tweet, which was accompanied by a clip of Scott's first political ad of the 2024 campaign.
In the video, Scott said American children are "growing up immersed in a culture where everyone's a victim" and highlighted the importance of teaching young people "individual responsibility."
"If you are able-bodied, you work. If you take out a loan, you pay it back. If you commit a violent crime, you go to jail," Scott said to his supporters in the clip.
REPUBLICAN SEN. TIM SCOTT FILES TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2024
Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission to seek the office of presidency, campaign filings show.
The GOP senator launched a $6 million ad campaign in key presidential primary states on Friday, ahead of a scheduled campaign announcement May 22.
Scott joins a number of Republicans who have already declared their intention to seek the Republican nomination next year, including former President Donald Trump. Trump launched his third White House bid in mid-November.
Scott also becomes the second politician from South Carolina — the state that holds the third contest in the Republican presidential nominating calendar — to launch a presidential campaign, following former two-term Gov. Nikki Haley. The former ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration declared her candidacy on Feb. 14.
Known for his fundraising prowess, Scott enters the White House race with his campaign coffers well stocked. Scott reported nearly $22 million cash on hand at the end of last year — funds left over from the senator’s convincing 25-point re-election victory in November in reliably red South Carolina.
A pair of Scott-aligned super PACs started 2023 with roughly $16 million in the bank, thanks to contributors from numerous Republican mega-donors including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this article.
