Black senator calls Joy Reid ‘vile’ after she slams him for voting against Ketanji Brown Jackson

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Republican US Senator Tim Scott lashed out at MSNBC host Joy Reid after she claimed he only voted against Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation due to influence from white lawmakers.

"All accuracy here. Not surprised by anything @SenatorTimScott does. He let @LindseyGrahamSC & the sheriffs dog-walk him and destroy police reform after pretending to work on it and now he'll go along with Lindsey's barking-dog racism against Judge Jackson because: he's Tim Scott," Ms Reed said of Mr Scott on Tuesday.

"Lindsey said it himself: it's fine to be Black and have ambitions to rise in Lindsey's South Carolina, as long as you're conservative enough – meaning as long as you do and think what Lindsey and his clan tell you to," she continued, sharing a 2020 Guardian story about comments he made during a televised campaign event.

Two days later, Mr Scott responded to Ms Reid's comments during an appearance on Fox & Friends.

"What is so offensive about what Joy is saying is that a Black man cannot think for himself," Mr Scott said. "I have to follow somebody else. That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. But it reinforces the liberal elites' approach to minorities who will not fall in line and do what they tell us to do."

He continued along that line, shifting his response to Ms Reid into a broad condemnation of liberals and their treatment of Black voters.

"There are millions of Americans who happen to be Black, who want to think for themselves, who will think for themselves. But the power of the liberal elite wants to attack us like vicious dogs because they do not want anyone standing up opposed to what they are doing, leading our country in the wrong direction. It is vile, it is offensive, and we should stop allowing the liberal media to push these stories by their hosts that want one thing and one thing only: progressive liberal policies that make it harder for African-Americans, not easier," Mr Scott said. "That's why President Biden's numbers in the Black community and the Hispanic community are going down, down, down. Because we can see with our own eyes what the policies of the left are doing to us, not for us."

After the rant, Mr Scott shared what he claims is the real reason he voted against the nominee.

“I believe her judicial philosophy is inconsistent with what’s in the best instance of our judiciary," he said.

Ultimately Ms Brown was confirmed by the Senate, with a vote of 53-47. All 50 Democrats voted to support Ms Brown and all but three Republicans voted against confirmation. The Republicans who broke from their party are Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney.