Scott signs RNC pledge ahead of first GOP debate

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), a presidential candidate, signed a pledge required by the Republican National Committee (RNC) ahead of the first debate saying he would support the party’s eventual nominee.

Scott is the latest Republican White House candidate to sign the pledge, which is the last criteria that needs to be met in order to make the Aug. 23 debate stage in Milwaukee. Other GOP presidential candidates, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, have also signed the pledge.

Candidates also needed to meet additional debate criteria in order to take the stage, including certain donor and polling thresholds.

“I look forward to sharing my positive, optimistic message on the GOP Debate stage in Milwaukee. Republicans are ready for conservative leadership with a backbone, one that will crush the cartels, stand up to China, and protect the America we all love,” Scott said in a statement.

While candidates like Scott and DeSantis have signed the pledge, former President Trump said in an interview earlier this week that he would not do so, arguing there are certain candidates he wouldn’t want to back if they are the eventual Republican nominee. 

“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have certain people as somebody that I would endorse,” Trump said on Newsmax.

The former president has yet to say whether he’ll participate in the first debate, but he told Newsmax, “I’ve already decided, and I’ll be announcing something next week,” adding that he hadn’t “totally ruled it out.”