Trey Gowdy thought he was doing a regular interview with this pal Senator Tim Scott when Scott announced he was suspending his campaign as of right then. Gowdy was flabbergasted and visibly had difficulty processing the surprise.

Sen. TIM SCOTT announces he is SUSPENDING his presidential campaign on Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy

— Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) November 13, 2023

Scott said he loves America more now than he already did before he ran for president. After traveling the country and meeting so many people, he said it has been the best experience of his life but he realizes it is time for him to leave the race.

I did not have that surprise announcement on my bingo card as I had Gowdy’s Sunday night show on. Bret Baier called into Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy to react to the announcement. Baier said it is a surprise that the announcement was made to Gowdy on his show but it “just wasn’t going to happen” for Scott. He has a compelling message but the needle just hasn’t moved for him.

Gowdy asked if he would consider being vice president on the Republican ticket and Scott said, “I ran for president to be president.” He believes he was called to run. Not necessarily called to win but called to run, so he did. He will remain in office as a senator from South Carolina until 2028. He said he is not endorsing another candidate. Not even Nikki Haley, also from South Carolina, and the person who enabled him to become a senator from the state as governor. That’s a shot.

🚨Breaking🚨

Sen. Tim Scott on Fox News 'Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy' announces that he is dropping out of 2024 presidential race

"I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me, 'Not now Tim.'"… pic.twitter.com/FZddjkzuCs

— Mona Salama  (@ByMonaSalama) November 13, 2023

Tim Scott, who just announced he is suspending his campaign, cancelled his Iowa swing this weekend on Friday, with his staff saying he had the flu.

— Adam Wren (@adamwren) November 13, 2023

I know he doesn’t want to say so now but Scott would be a good vice president candidate for the Republican ticket.

His campaign had a high burn rate for campaign cash with little to show for it in the polls. I’m surprised, though, that he didn’t wait and see the results in the Iowa caucuses before he made this move. He’s a happy warrior in a political environment with little appetite for a happy warrior as a presidential candidate. I think he’ll run for president again and if he was to become the vice president, it would be an easier run for him next time around.

Scott tried to change his tone in the last two debates and went more aggressively against Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. It didn’t work for him – the needle still didn’t move.

The New York Times noted a post on X Sunday that it calls “cryptic.”

He had begun Sunday with a cryptic message on X, formerly known as Twitter, that cited Proverbs: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

He likely would have had trouble qualifying for the fourth RNC debate. He almost didn’t make the third debate, having difficulty meeting the small donor requirement. His big donor, Larry Ellison, already announced some adjustments to his support.

Mr. Scott began his campaign with $22 million in fund-raising, a substantial war chest that put him in a position of financial strength. He spent millions of dollars on television ads bolstering his candidacy, but his poll numbers remained stagnant, and he never produced a breakout moment on the campaign trail.

The super PAC supporting him, fueled by $30 million in donations in 2022 from the Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, announced in mid-October that after seeing no progress for Mr. Scott, it was cutting millions of dollars in television ad reservations it had scheduled for the fall months.

We haven’t seen the last of Tim Scott and that’s a good thing.

Why is Asa Hutchinson still in the race?

Reuters reports that right after his announcement, two big donors confirmed their financial support will go to Nikki Haley.

Tonight, I suspended my campaign for president.

Traveling this country and meeting all of you has been one of the most fantastic experiences of my entire life.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

God Bless the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/yniJWQMW1N

— Tim Scott (@votetimscott) November 13, 2023