Masquerade

I've heard- we all have- far worse things from Tim Scott. However, this is simply not accurate:

Tim Scott: Remember Romans 13:1-4 simply says that there are ministers in government called law enforcement officers given the sword so they can exact the wrath of god pic.twitter.com/kxy9Vxugpy

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 6, 2025

In the New International Version translation of Romans 13:1-4, Paul writes

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

There simply is nothing in there about law enforcement officers. Verses 5-7, with which 1-4 often is grouped, reads

Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Paul said "This is also why you pay taxes....." By contrast, in a presidential debate in 2016

When Hillary Clinton said that her Republican rival Donald Trump had paid no federal tax in some years, (Donald) Trump didn't deny it.  In fact, he said "That makes me smart.

        

And yet, Senator Scott appeared with Trump and Vivek "the fake" Ramaswamy at Trump's victory rally following the New Hampshire primary in 2024. There, he gushed "I just love you" to the 45th President. Donald Trump, and Senator Scott his acolyte, should remember the warning when the man believed to be Jesus' half-brother warned in chapter 5

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 

When there are politicians such as Tim Scott intentionally misinterpreting Scripture in order to pave the way for the police state Donald Trump plans, it shouldn't be ignored. President Trump's servants cover themselves in the garment of piety for Trump's sake. But the South Carolina senator should heed the words of Paul to the Corinthians when he asserted "and no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. it is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness."

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Two Presidents at Once

How does a politician say "Donald Trump is the duly elected President of the United States of America" without saying "Donald Trump is the duly elected President of the United States of America?"

He (or she) appears on cable news and reinforces the idea that a soon-to-be major party presidential nominee who lost the previous presidential election is still and currently President of the United States of America. It is done by referring to "President Trump."

North Carolina governor Doug Burgum, reputed to be on Mr. Trump's short list for Vice President, knows how. On CNN's State of the Union, Jake Tapper asked Burgum about Trump referring to President Biden as "running a Gestapo Administration." Burgum replied in part "It might actually in some ways help President Trump because it reinforces the idea that the Biden administration is willing to use lawfare to try to attack a political opponent."

"Help(ing) President Trump" is a reference to Trump's campaign, though at other points Burgum did use "President Trump" correctly, when he was referring to Trump's record as President. Burgum's effort to elevate Trump to the presidency in the minds of voters was significantly aided by the interviewer.  Upon asking a question, Tapper noted "According to polling, a plurality of the American people think that President Trump did commit a crime when it comes to this case. And if you add in those who think it was unethical, but not illegal, it's a vast majority."

Inarguably, Trump while a candidate in 2016 paid money to Stephanie Clifford/Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about a sexual liaison. Arguably, he did so in order not to hinder his opportunity to be elected. He was not President Trump. A moment later, Tapper asked the North Carolina governor "So, just quickly, if you could, if President Trump asks you to serve as his vice president, will you say yes?"

No, Jake, the candidate wouldn't wait till after he became "President Trump" to offer the position to Burgum. It would be before he became President, while he was still a candidate and there was a President Biden. 

On Sunday's Meet the Press, another individual- Tim Scott- hoping to be tapped by Donald Trump, stated "I hope that the President will choose a person who helps the country unite and heal. I certainly expect to have a decision from President Trump in the next 60 days or so."

It's going to be difficult for "President Trump" to select anyone while Joseph Robinette Biden is in the White House. 

The South Carolina senator was asked by host Kristin Welker "You of course did vote to certify the 2020 election result and you've said, quote, 'It was not stolen.' Why would you join a ticket with someone who believes the exact opposite on this critical point?" Scott replied "well, I think we have to listen to what President Trump said and not what the reporters said that he actually said." Pressed on the point, Scott responded "Thee is clear facts here. President Trump himself said he expects this election to be fair, he expects it to be honest and he expects to win."

He added "I look forward to President Trump being the 47th president and Kristen, you can ask multiple times...." (It would have been more entertaining for Scott to state "I look forward to President Trump being President Trump"- same thing.)  

Also: "at the end of the day- so the American people, the American people will make the decision. And the decision will be..... for President Trump. That's clear;" "and I believe that President Trump will be our next president;" "I expect President Trump to win the next election and listen, I'm not going to answer your hypothetical question when in fact I believe...."; and "but there's no question that President Trump has been very clear that he wants to (sic) issue (i.e., abortion) left to the states, with three exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.

  "

What Tim Scott wants to make clear is that he can say "President Trump" more than anyone alive. But as with Doug Burgum, it was a low-hanging fruit with the host. One of Scott's mentions was prompted by the host herself asking "What about President Trump's VP? Did it come up at all?" And Jake Tapper stated to Burgum "According to polling, a plurality of the American people think that President Trump did commit a crime when it comes to this case..."

The North Carolina governor was outdone on the "President Trump" lie by the South Carolina senator. However, Burgum gets an extra point for his "what affects them is Joe Biden's policies, the inflation that's taken 30 percent of their savings, come like a thief in the night."  Biblically literate Christians will recognize this reference from the Thessalonians 5:2, in which the Apostle Paul stated "for you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."  And the concept is featured in the 24th chapter of Matthew. Unlike Tim Scott, Doug Burgum is a polished politician.

While Jake Tapper, Kristen Welker, and most journalists would prefer that Trump not return to the White House, they enable the GOP to frame the election largely as it wishes. Whenever a Republican politician or pundit refers to Donald Trump in his post-presidency as "President Trump," the propagandist should be reminded that it is "former President Trump." 

Dean Baker may be excessively sensitized to Machiavellian when he tweets "if we had a serious press, the stories would be about ow the party of "Jews will not replace us' is pretending to care about antisemitism. But we know the people who own and control the media will pay lower taxes with Donald Trump back in the White House."  Whether the motive is economic, as economist Baker believes it is, or it's merely a case of ineptitude, it is a case of bad journalism.

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Tim Scott, In Character

Federal regulators took their eyes off the ball, focusing on progressive priorities, like climate change policy, instead of their mission: ensuring that Americans’ banks are safe and stable. pic.twitter.com/NDolWLDJmg

— Tim Scott (@SenatorTimScott) April 3, 2023

Newsweek reminds us that

Republicans and Democrats in both chambers of Congress approved a rollback of financial regulations in 2018 that may have contributed to the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.

Bipartisan majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate approved S. 2155, which axed regulatory requirements for regional banks with less than $250 billion in assets and was signed by then-President Donald Trump, meaning such banks did not need to submit to stress testing.

Yes, those "socially moderate, economically conservative" members of Congress whom the mainstream media adores and were woke liberals when woke, corporate liberalism was politically expedient. That was before 

There has been renewed focus on the bill after Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a regional bank based in California's Silicon Valley tech corridor, collapsed on Friday after its customers initiated a run on their deposits.

The bill made changes to the earlier Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which had been signed by then-President Barack Obama in 2010, and required banks with more than $50 billion in assets to submit to stress testing.

SVB had over $200 billion in assets by the end of 2022 and was one of the 20 largest banks in the U.S.

While 17 Democrats voted in favor of bank run amok, most Democrats voted against it and every Republican voted in favor.  Too often, that is what center-left media means when it pleads for bipartisanship- both parties striving to maintain the wealth and power of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of consumers or workers.

Well, what do you know? One of those GOP senators is the fellow who now says "federal regulators took their eyes off the ball," neglecting to acknowledge that he joined every other Republican (and seventeen Democrats) in helping prevent regulators from keeping their eyes on the ball. The junior senator from South Dakota joined his fellow Republicans in promoting the conditions leading to the run on Silicon Valley Bank.

Hypocrisy, or at least the effort to have things both ways, is nothing new for Senator Tim Scott, who when he gave the GOP rebuttal to President Biden's first State of the Union address, stated  

 I have experienced the pain of discrimination. I know what it feels like to be pulled over for no reason. To be followed around a store while I’m shopping. I remember, every morning, at the kitchen table, my grandfather would open the newspaper and read it — I thought....

I’ve also experienced a different kind of intolerance. I get called “Uncle Tom” and the n-word by progressives, by liberals.

Moments later he would declare "Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country.... and we get to live in the greatest country on Earth."  He did not explain what would make an America, in which such discrimination is common, actually racist.

If he currently is being called the "n-word," he needs to call people out. By name. And yet

Tim Scott is a complete phony but is rumored to believe he has a chance to become the 2024 Republican nominee for President. Make that Tim Scott is a complete phony and therefore believes he has  a chance to become the 2024 Republican nominee for President."

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Not-Great Scott

Following President Joseph Biden's address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2021, I maintained that Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina was either "lying or stupid." Three days later I reconsidered, suggesting he is "someone who loves and reveres this country as the greatest but has only distaste for those of us living here." Now I have to reconsider again (or perhaps re-reconsider) his inspiration because on February 20, the Senator, asked by Trump TV's Maria Bartiromo whether he'd like to play second banana to Donald Trump, replied

Well, I think everyone wants to be on President Trump's bandwagon without any question. One of the things I've said to the President is that he gets to decide the future of our party and our country because he still is the loudest voice. What I hope happens is that we rally around the principles that lead to our greatest success. I am not looking for a seat on the ticket at this point. I'm looking to be re-elected in South Carolina. So my hope is you win next Friday's football game before thinking about any other one. So that's my primary responsibility.

"I think everybody wants to be on President Trump's bandwagon, without any question" -- Tim Scott sounds very open to being Trump's running mate pic.twitter.com/upzonRaaHr

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 20, 2022

Oh, get a room. Obviously, Scott, wants to be selected by Donald Trump as the party's vice-presidential nominee. He qualifies his interest only by stating "not at this point" and by maintaining that he is not looking to be on the ticket. Trump knows where to find him.

Scott is not worshipping the ex-President because of principles of the supporting corporate interests over the public interest, unlimited funding of the Pentagon, low taxes for the wealthy, or even one of the GOP's current enervating principles, destruction of public education.  He is not recommending the Party "rally around" principles that have led to its success. He is speaking instead in the present tense, "principles that lead to our greatest success."  The Party's current dominating principle is faith in authoritarianism.

President Trump has no "bandwagon" currently because the guy with the bandwagon is not President.  Nor has Scott said anything to the President because, as far as can be determined, he hasn't spoken to Joe Biden. That's not nitpicking; Scott is raising Trump's stature while he reinforces the GOP myth that Donald Trump is the real President.

Scott reinforces his implication that Trump is President Trump also by arguing that the real estate mogul and actor "gets to decide the future of our party and our country because he still is the loudest voice." However, the United States of America is not the Trump family or the Trump business empire. As an ex-President, a coincidentally failed ex-President, he does not get to decide the future of the country.

For the Senator, Trump "gets to decide the future of our party" not because he has the right values, is a principled individual, or is the last Republican president. He gets to decide the future of the Republican Party because he has the loudest voice. Assuming Scott is not dense enough to believe that whomever talks loudest talks best, he is asserting that might makes right. Trump is pushy, mean, and vindictive, and that's good enough for Tim Scott.

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