Jonathan Bernstein, Columnist

Why Isn’t Trump’s Polling Lead Discouraging GOP Challengers?

Senator Tim Scott’s decision to pursue the nomination is the latest sign that Republicans have doubts about the former president.

April 13, 2023 at 11:30 AM UTC

By Jonathan Bernstein

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics. A former professor of political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio, he wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

Tim Scott sees an opening.
Photographer: Win McNamee/Getty Images

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Judging by opinion polls, Donald Trump looks to be the overwhelming favorite for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is the clear alternative. But news this week from South Carolina suggests that Republicans aren’t nearly as sold on Trump as the polling suggests.

Senator Tim Scott declared Wednesday that he is officially “exploring” a presidential run. In practical terms, that means the campaign he started some time ago is becoming a bit more formal. How serious is his bid? When asked whether he would support Donald Trump if the former president were to win the Republican nomination, Scott simply said: “I plan on being the nominee.”