Former President Barack Obama has called out Republican Senator Tim Scott for his assertions that the GOP is “doing a fabulous job of making progress“ towards an ending of systemic racism in America.
Speaking in a podcast released Thursday, the first black President of the United States argued that Republicans must come up with a concrete plan for addressing a centuries–long history of prejudice.
Scott, the first black Republican Senator from the South since Reconstruction, has aimed to make his own life story of triumph a centerpiece of his presidential campaign and espouses the belief that success is within the reach of everyone who is willing to work for it.
But Obama pushed back on that idea. He stated: “If somebody is not proposing, both acknowledging and proposing elements that say, ‘No, we can‘t just ignore all that and pretend as if everything‘s equal and fair. We actually have to walk the walk and not just talk the talk.’ If they‘re not doing that, then I think people are rightly skeptical.”
The former President‘s critique came after Scott appeared on ABC‘s The View last week to respond to Joy Behar‘s remark that he didn‘t understand systemic racism. On the talk show, Scott pointed to the examples of himself and of Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris as proof that African Americans could succeed.
However, Obama dismissed Scott‘s arguments as inadequate. “I‘m not being cynical about Tim Scott individually,” he said. “I am maybe suggesting that the rhetoric of ‘can‘t we all get along?’…that has to be undergirded with an honest accounting of our past and our present.”
The former president went on to call for an opening within the Republican party for a platform that focuses less on the grievances of Donald Trump and more on economic issues such as higher taxes on those earning higher wages.
Obama‘s criticism comes as Scott has repeatedly defended his party‘s efforts in combatting racism and insists that his experience of success is true for all African Americans. On The View he responded to Behar‘s remark, saying: “That is a dangerous, offensive, disgusting message to send to our young people today – that the only way to succeed is by being the exception.”
Nevertheless, the former President does not appear to be swayed by the Senator‘s defenses. It remains to be seen if the GOP will heed Obama‘s challenge to come up with a concrete plan of action that will effectively end systemic racism and racial inequality in the US.
