Tim Scott reveals his relationship with Donald Trump strengthened after Charlottesville incident
WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Tim Scott shared insights into his evolving relationship with Donald Trump in a recent interview with Fox News.
The senator revealed that their bond strengthened significantly following the controversial events in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, when white Supremacists marched, resulting in violent clashes and a tragic fatality, according to The Hill.
What was the Charlottesville incident?
In August 2017, a 'Unite the Right' rally organized by white supremacists in Charlottesville saw neo-Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members clashing violently with counterprotesters during the first year of Trump's presidency.
The marching was a response to the city's decision to remove Confederate monuments following the 2015 mass shooting at a Black church in South Carolina by a white supremacist.
The violence peaked when a white supremacist drove a car into a crowd of counterprotesters that injured 35 people and killed Heather Heyer, 32, in an act ruled as a hate crime.
Donald Trump's controversial comments
In the aftermath, Trump faced severe backlash for his remarks suggesting that there were "very fine people" on both sides of the conflict and assigned blame to "many sides."
His remarks were widely criticized for failing to unequivocally condemn the actions of the white supremacists.
During the 'Fox & Friends' interview with Ainsley Earhadt, Scott recalled, “He wanted me to share with him my perspective."
“He listened, and after we finished talking, he said, ‘Help me help those I have offended.’ The Charlottesville incident made our relationship what it is today,” Scott added.
Tim Scott's initial criticism of Donald Trump's comments
Following Trump's controversial comments, Scott criticized Trump as he stated in an interview with Vice News saying “What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority. And that moral authority is compromised.”
The senator said at the time that he would not “defend the indefensible.”
After Scott's criticism in 2017, he was invited to the White House to speak with Trump. Following their discussion, the senator moderated his critique of Trump and stated that the meeting was productive.
“I think my comments about the compromise of moral authority were based on America’s reaction. I think the restoration of moral authority will be based on America’s reaction. It will take time,” Scott said at the time.
One significant outcome of the collaborative efforts between Trump and Scott following the meeting was the establishment of opportunity zones as part of the 2017 tax cuts.
In his recent interview with Fox, Scott credited their initial conversation for the successful implementation of this initiative, saying “That’s how opportunity zones was born."
