Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and others including Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., blasted "The View" co-host Joy Behar on Tuesday after she claimed Scott "doesn't get" racism while comparing him to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
"He’s one of these guys, like Clarence Thomas, Black Republican, who believes in pull yourself up by your bootstraps, rather than understanding the systemic racism that African Americans face in this country and other minorities. He doesn’t get it. Neither does Clarence. That’s why they’re Republicans," she said Tuesday during "The View."
Responding to a clip of Behar's comments on Twitter, Scott said that he is the candidate the "radical Left fears the most," echoing a statement he made during his 2024 campaign announcement.
"When a Black conservative who believes in the future of this nation stands up to be counted, they lose their minds," he said.
Congressman Donalds called out Behar over her comments as well and noted photos of "The View" host dressed up as a Black woman for Halloween, which resurfaced in 2019.
"Joy, dressing up as a Black woman for Halloween with dark paint on your face doesn't magically make you Black or make you an expert on what it's like to be Black. From one Black person to another White liberal who got a pass for wearing Black face, sit this one out," he wrote in response to a clip of Behar.
Other conservative commentators took issue with Behar's remarks as well.
"Attention black Americans: don't even *think* about having a mind of your own or else this wealthy white lady will come for you," Scott Jennings, a senior CNN commentator, wrote on Twitter in response to a clip of Behar's remarks.
JOY BEHAR SAYS TIM SCOTT DOESN'T ‘UNDERSTAND’ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RACIST COUNTRY, SYSTEMIC RACISM
Scott officially launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Monday and referenced multiple instances of criticism from the Left during his announcement speech.
"I’m the candidate the far left fears the most," Scott said. "When I cut your taxes, they called me a prop. When I refunded the police, they called me a token. When I pushed back on President Biden, they even called me the n-word. I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. The truth of my life disrupts their lies!"
"The View" co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin also criticized Scott on Monday
"One of the issues that Tim Scott has is that he seems to think, ‘Because I made it, everyone can make it.’ Ignoring, again, the fact that he’s the exception and not the rule. And until he’s the rule, then he can stop talking about systemic racism," Hostin said.
Goldberg said he had "Clarence Thomas syndrome."
Scott told Fox News that Hostin had it backward when she claimed his story is "the exception, not the rule."
"We have to ignore the far left by disproving their lies by our actions. Here's the funny thing: The host, Sunny, she wants to be judged by the content of her character, not the color of her skin. The fact of the matter is America is a story of evolution – a never told story of evolution in too many of our schools that are indoctrinating our kids instead of educating our kids," he added.
