Unmarried presidential candidate Tim Scott has offered new insight into 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 when he ran for a seat on the Charleston City Council in 1995 — answered questions during his campaign in Iowa this weekend.
Scott was questioned onstage for more than an hour by the state’s attorney general and at one point was asked about his love life — and how he felt about the prospect that, if elected, he would be the first single person would be president in 162 years. .
He responded by labeling such concerns as outdated, before shedding light on a “special lady” in his life – someone he quickly said wasn’t his mother.
The 57-year-old South Carolinian, a devout Christian, then offered clues about his unnamed muse’s faith, as his single status is still something of a sticking point for many more traditionally minded Americans.
Scroll down for video:
Unmarried presidential candidate Tim Scott gave 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 sweet Christian” girlfriend waiting for him at home
The 57-year-old told Attorney General Brenna Bird, “I’m dating a sweet Christian girl,” before asking members of the Des Moines crowd to “pray for him.”
The committed evangelical told Iowa AG Brenna Bird on Saturday, “I’m in a relationship with a sweet Christian girl.”
The onstage statement, made at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, drew an almost immediate, audible response from the audience, where many had expected more from the candidates’ policies than his personal life.
That said, a large portion of Americans — as well as publications like The Washington Post — have become more enamored with the latter, especially after an interview in May in which Scott sensationally revealed that while he is unmarried, he is not single.
The meeting, held by Axios on May 31, also saw the aspiring president – who has served his home state’s Senate for a decade – also address what has become one of the most shocking contrasts between him and front-runners like Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.
“I probably have more time, more energy and more leeway to do the job,” he told the DC crowd after being asked about the apparent anomaly — which was preceded by the interviewer and last seen by a serving president by James Buchanan in 1961.
That claim, while true, carried more weight for students of American history – due to the fact that Buchanan, a Civil War-era Democrat, was seen by many as the first gay president in US history.
Like Scott, Buchanan was also a devout Christian who attended church all his life and never married. He remained single during his four years in office, when he was in his sixties. When he died in 1868 at the age of 77, he was still single.
Faced with that comparison, Scott seemed to defend his single status, before quickly claiming that he was indeed dating someone.
The onstage statement, made at the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Des Moines, drew an almost immediate, audible response from the audience, where many had expected more from the candidates’ policies than his personal life.
A large portion of Americans have become more enamored with the latter, especially after an interview in May in which Scott sensationally revealed that he is no longer single.
The last person to remain a bachelor during his presidency was James Buchanan, who left office a bachelor in 1961. Buchanan, a Civil War-era Democrat, has long been seen as the first gay American president — and the comparison showed that Scott almost immediately mentioned that he has a girlfriend
“The fact that half of the American adult population is single for the first time suggests that whether or not you are married will somehow be the determining factor in whether you are 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 see being single as a potential asset, especially compared to previously divorced colleagues like former President Trump, who is currently embroiled in several lawsuits unrelated to the upcoming 2024 election.
“I probably have more time, more energy and more leeway to do the work,” Scott told the crowd, before dropping the bombshell about his personal life in a seemingly casual manner.
“My girlfriend wants to see me when I get home,” he joked, receiving whoops and applause from those in attendance.
The comment — aside from sending social media into a rapid frenzy — almost immediately sparked online conversations from internet sleuths aware of the Christ-loving conservative’s impeccable dating record.
It also spawned a September 12 article in the Washington Post that provided an in-depth look at the senator’s love life – or lack thereof.
Reports from DailyMail.com dating back a decade also shed light on part of the Republican’s checkered past, which began as an aspiring politician in the 1990s when he campaigned across South Carolina as a proud 30-year-old virgin.
This family photo from the 1960s shows Scott as a child with an unknown aunt. He credits his upbringing by his single mother in North Charleston as the driving factor behind his decision not to marry.
That pledge of abstention would ensure his successful election later that year, and helped cultivate the image that many today associate with him as a senator.
However, after sixteen years in public life and winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, Scott dropped the bombshell that he is no longer a virgin but had remained single until now, at least publicly.
In the recent Post piece, Scott attempted to explain why he continued to keep the alleged woman’s identity a secret, citing privacy concerns.
“I can’t imagine dragging her on the campaign trail unless I have every intention of marrying her,” he said. “I hope that happens, to be honest.”
The Post further reported that during their deep dive into the senator’s alleged romance, staffers refused to let him meet the woman.
However, in an interview, Scott’s campaign manager, Jennifer DeCasper, gave what might be seen as a clue to her identity, saying that the couple had recently hung out at a zoo.
As of Sunday, Scott has commented further on the alleged mystery woman. Her identity currently remains secret
It contrasted with a Scott staffer’s newspaper comment from just a few months ago, in which DeCasper claimed the politician’s dating life was “non-existent.”
An unnamed insider who spoke to the Post on condition of anonymity added that the secrecy also stems from Scott’s desire to stay true to the image that got him elected and ultimately respected in his home state.
“He has staked so much on his personal story, character and faith,” the unnamed officer said this week.
“He’s acting as a preacher to America, so to speak, as he woos evangelical Christians in Iowa, and I think a lot of people might wonder about his lack of a family.”
As of Sunday, Scott has commented further on the alleged mystery woman. Her identity currently remains secret.