Unwed presidential candidate Tim Scott has given some new insight about his still-shrouded love life – months after revealing he had a girlfriend waiting for him at home.
The comment came as the Republican senator – who billed himself as a God-fearing 30-year-old virgin while seeking a seat in Charleston’s city council in 1995 – fielded questions on his campaign trail in Iowa over the weekend.
Probed on-stage by the state’s Attorney General for the better part of an hour, Scott was at one point asked about his love life – along with how he felt about the prospect that if elected, he would be the first single president in 162 years.
He responded by labeling such concerns as antiquated, before shedding light on one ‘special lady’ in his life – one whom he quickly said was not his mother.
A devout Christian, the 57-year-old South Carolinian proceeded to provide a clue about his unnamed muse’s own faith – as his single status has continued to serve as a sort of sticking point for many, more traditionally minded Americans.
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Unmarried presidential candidate Tim Scott has given a clue about his still-shrouded love life during an on-stage interview with Iowa’s attorney general on Saturday – with the devout evangelical revealing he has ‘a lovely Christian’ girlfriend waiting for him at home
The 57-year-old told Attorney General Brenna Bird: ‘I’m dating a lovely Christian girl’, before asking members of the Des Moines crowd to ‘pray for him’
The devoted evangelical told Iowa AG Brenna Bird Saturday: ‘I’m dating a lovely Christian girl.’
The on-stage assertion, made at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, earned an almost immediate, audible reaction from the auditorium, where many had been expecting more about the candidates’ policies as opposed to his personal life.
That said, a large portion of Americans – as well as publications like The Washington Post – have found themselves more infatuated with the latter, especially after a May interview that saw Scott sensationally reveal that while unwed, he is not single.
Held on May 31 by Axios, the spot also saw the aspiring president – who has served his home state’s senate for a decade – address what has become one of the more jarring contrasts between him and frontrunners like Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.
‘I probably have more time, more energy and more latitude to do the job,’ he told the DC crowd after being asked about the apparent anomaly – which was prefaced by the interviewer was last seen from a serving president by James Buchanan in 1961.
That assertion, while true, held more weight for students of American history – due to the fact that Buchanan, a Civil War era Democrat, has been pegged by many to be the first gay president in the history of the US.
Like Scott, Buchanan was also a devout Christian who attended church all through his life, and never married. He stayed single throughout his four years in office, at which time he was in his 60s. When he died at 77 in 1868, he was still a bachelor.
Confronted with that comparison, Scott seemed to defend his single status, before quickly claiming that he was, in fact, dating someone.
The on-stage assertion, made at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, earned an almost immediate, audible reaction from the auditorium, where many had been expecting more about the candidates’ policies as opposed to his personal life
A large portion of Americans have found themselves more infatuated with the latter, especially after a May interview that saw Scott sensationally reveal that he is no longer single
The last person to remain single through his presidency was James Buchanan, who left office a bachelor in 1961. Buchanan, a Civil War era Democrat, has long been pegged as the first gay US president – and the comparison saw Scott almost instantly mention that he has a girlfriend
‘The fact that half of America’s adult population is single for the first time, to suggest that somehow being married or not married is going to be the determining factor of whether you’re a good president,’ Scott said at the time.
‘It sounds like we’re living in 1963… not 2023.’
The outspoken candidate also seemed to try to spin being single as a potential plus – especially when compared to previously divorced counterparts like former President Trump, who is currently embroiled in several legal cases that unrelated to the upcoming 2024 election.
‘I probably have more time, more energy, and more latitude to do the job,’ Scott told the crowd, before dropping the bombshell about his private life seemingly in passing
‘My girlfriend wants to see me when I come home,’ he joked, receiving whoops and and applause from those in attendance.
The remark – aside from sending social media into a fast frenzy – almost instantly prompted online talks from internet sleuths aware of the Christ-loving conservative’s immaculate dating record.
It also spawned a September 12 Washington Post article that provided a lengthy look into the senator’s love life – or lack thereof.
Reporting from DailyMail.com that stretches back ten years also shed light on some of the Republican’s checkered past, which began as an aspiring politician in the 90s, when he campaigned across South Carolina as a proud 30-year-old virgin.
Scott is seen as a child with an unidentified aunt in this family photo from the 1960s. He credits his upbringing by his single mom in North Charleston as a driving factor for his decision to not to get married
That pledge of abstinence would see him successfully elected later that year, and helped cultivate the image that today many associate with him as a senator.
After 16 years in public life and winning a seat in the US House, however, Scott dropped the bombshell that he is no longer a virgin – but had stayed single, at least publicly, until now.
In the recent Post piece, Scott attempted to explain why he was still keeping the alleged woman’s identity a secret, citing privacy concerns.
‘I can’t imagine dragging her onto the campaign trail unless I have the intention of marrying her,’ he said. ‘I hope that happens, to be honest with you.’
The Post further reported that during its in-depth dive into the senator’s alleged romance, staffers declined to let him meet the woman.
However, in an interview, Scott’s campaign manager, Jennifer DeCasper, provided what perhaps could be perceived as a clue to her identity, saying the pair had recently hung out at a zoo.
As of Sunday, Scott has yet to comment further on the alleged mystery woman. Her identity currently remains a secret
It came in contrast to a comments given to the paper from the Scott staffer just a few months ago, in which DeCasper claimed the politico’s dating life was ‘nonexistent.’
An unnamed insider who spoke to the Post on the condition of anonymity added that the secrecy also stems from Scott’s desire to stay true to the image that got him elected and eventually respected in his home state in the first place.
‘He has staked so much on his personal story, character and faith,’ the unnamed operative said this week.
‘He’s running as America’s pastor, so to speak, as he courts evangelicals in Iowa, and I think a lot of folks may wonder about his lack of a family.’
As of Sunday, Scott has yet to comment further on the alleged mystery woman. Her identity currently remains a secret.
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