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Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., surprised even many of his own campaign staffers when he announced late Sunday night that he was ending his presidential run, further shrinking the field of Republican candidates taking on former President Donald Trump.
“I think the voters, who are the most remarkable people on the planet, have been really clear that they’re telling me: not now,” Scott Said during an appearance on Trey Gowdy’s Fox News program — also appearing to surprise Gowdy, Scott’s longtime friend, per NBC’s Nnamdi Egwuonwu and Alex Tabet.
Scott’s campaign, once flush with cash, had started to run short on money and he was struggling to gain traction in recent polls. The RNC’s higher polling and donor requirements for the fourth debate next month also meant Scott would have a tough time making the debate stage.
It remains to be seen whether other GOP candidates will head for the exits. Two candidates who failed to qualify for the third debate have still moved forward with their campaigns.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum told Tabet and NBC’s Sarah Dean over the weekend that he plans to stay in the race at least until the New Hampshire primary. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson had previously saidhe was aiming to hit 4% in early state polls “before Thanksgiving” — a threshold he has yet to reach.
In other campaign news …
Haley hits the airwaves: Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s campaign is planning a $10 million ad buyin Iowa and New Hampshire starting in December, per the AP. The new spending comes as Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are refocusing their efforts on Iowa following last week’s debate, NBC’s Alex Tabet and Jillian Frankel report.
Biden backlash: President Joe Biden’s approach to Israel is “tearing at Biden’s political coalition and putting him in the awkward spot of reining in a Jewish state he has long revered,” write NBC’s Peter Nicholas and Dan De Luce.
Taking on Trump: Biden is ramping up his attacks on former President Donald Trump, with the president personally deciding to criticize Trump during a union event last week, NBC’s Carol E. Lee and Kristen Welker report.
Far from the campaign trail: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie left the campaign trail this weekend and became the first GOP presidential hopeful to travel to Israel, saying, “We need to stand absolutely shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel.”
Dean’s dough: Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., told CNN there is “no” limit to how much of his own money he could spend on his presidential bid.
Sinema’s dilemma: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., has lost support from her Democratic donors since leaving the party, and they are instead backing Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego’s Senate bid, per Politico.
Thinking about it: Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy is expected to serve out the rest of his term, but he told CNN he has not yet decided if he’s running for re-election.
Rematch: Progressive Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar is facing a primary rematch against former Minneapolis City Council member Don Samuels, whom Omar narrowly defeated last year, per Politico.
Back to the drawing board: A federal court in New Orleans on Friday ordered Louisiana legislators to enact a new congressional map by Jan. 15 after another court previously ruled that the current map dilutes the power of Black voters in the state.
2024 is just around the corner: NBC’s Noah Pransky details one election official’s work in Arizona to develop trust in his county’s electoral system — and stop conspiracy theories before they start. This comes just after a week where election offices in multiple states received physical threats, including envelopes containing fentanyl, sparking fear among election officials, Politico reports.