MSNBC guest Tara Setmayer launched a racially-charged attack at Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), who is black, claiming that his presidential run would go nowhere and referring to him as a “racial pacifier” and a “racial security blanket.”
Setmayer, a senior adviser with the Lincoln Project, joined MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart on his “Saturday Show” — and she weighed in on the recent soft launch of Scott’s 2024 presidential campaign.
“I find Senator Scott fascinating, a black Republican who isn’t too shy in talking about race, but whose views on race can be problematic both within the GOP and in the general public.” Capehart began, asking, “So, I mean, am I giving him too much credit?”
“Listen, Tim Scott, bless his heart, is trying to make a name for himself now, taking advantage of the fact that Republicans every election cycle need a racial pacifier,” Setmayer said. “He’s their racial security blanket in the race.”
Setmayer immediately pivoted to former President Donald Trump, claiming that Republicans had failed to “diversify the tent” and adding, “They went in the complete opposite direction. But the one constant has been good ole Senator Tim Scott, the lone black Republican in the Senate.”
She went on to say that she respected Senator Scott’s life story, but not the fact that he had supported Trump and voted to acquit him after the January 6th-related impeachment.
“That I have no respect for. None whatsoever. I have no respect for someone that cannot take a firm position on where he stands on our democracy. On Donald Trump’s existential threat to it,” Setmayer continued. “I mean, the 1990s called and they want their campaign video back. There’s nothing extraordinary about what Tim Scott is doing. I mean, he’s a big snooze and he has no chance. None whatsoever. Zip, zero.”
Following some backlash over the racially-charged nature of her comments, Setmayer complained about all the “hate-filled msgs” that were flooding her inbox and doubled down on her comments, claiming the GOP had been “TRIGGERED.”
WATCH:
My comments on @weekendcapehart about Sen Tim Scott being a “racial security blanket” for the GOP has TRIGGERED them!
So many hate filled msgs since this segment 🤷🏽♀️The truth has a way of doing that.
Here’s a clip.
📺 Full video go here: https://t.co/bRkLrsqkdK pic.twitter.com/LKNBuYAFgF
— Tara Setmayer 🌻 (@TaraSetmayer) April 16, 2023