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If
he were to run, Scott would challenge former President Donald
Trump, who launched his campaign in November and recently became
the first former U.S. president to be criminally indicted by a
grand jury.
On Wednesday, Scott will be in Iowa, the lead-off state in the
Republican presidential nominating process. He will then travel
to New Hampshire on Thursday before coming back to his home
state of South Carolina on Friday ahead of a local summit in
Charleston.
On Saturday, he will give donors and prominent supporters a
"political update," according to an invitation seen by Reuters.
As the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, Scott, 57, has
taken a leading role on police-reform efforts and has spoken
frequently on racial issues.
Scott often called out Trump during his presidency over racially
charged comments and blocked several of his judicial nominees
for such reasons. At the same time, Scott has accused Democrats
of exploiting racial tensions for partisan gain.
Scott has described being the victim of racial prejudice but has
insisted, as he put it in a 2021 speech, that "America is not a
racist country."
Republicans who have formally launched campaigns for the party's
2024 nomination include former South Carolina Governor Nikki
Haley and activist investor Vivek Ramaswamy.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike
Pence are also expected to join the race, though neither have
announced their candidacy. Polls show DeSantis as Trump's
closest rival for the Republican nomination.
Scott garners no more than 2% support in almost all polls,
though supporters argue that will change as he becomes a
better-known national figure.
(Reporting by Gram Slattery and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Scott
Malone and Gerry Doyle)
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