Sen. Tim Scott's (R-SC) attempts Sunday to defend President Donald Trump's economy, his controversial colleagues and potentially Islamophobic attacks were met with immediate scorn.
Scott was met with scathing reviews after he discussed on "Meet the Press" Sen. Darline Graham Nordone (R-SC), Senate hopeful Ken Paxton, inflation and criticism that Republicans use senatorial hopeful Abdul El-Sayed's religion as fear-monger fodder.
"These people brag about their Christian faith," replied Zeteo editor-in-chief Mehdi Hasan, "and then just lie shamelessly on national television with a smile on their face."
Hasan delivered this rebuke in response to Scott's defense of Nordone, the Trump-endorsed candidate to replace her late brother Lindsey Graham, who this week admitted utter ignorance of national security.
"Darline Graham is the real deal," Scott said in his interview. "She's ready to serve."
"But Senator Scott," replied host Kristen Welker, "should a U.S. senator have a basic understanding of national security issues?"
"The answer is yes," replied Scott, "and she does."
According to Nordone, however, the answer is that national security is not "her thing."
Scott's defense of Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General running for Senate, also did not go down well.
"Paxton has faced allegations of bribery, fraud, abuse of power, he was impeached by his own party," said Welker. "Why do you now believe Ken Paxton has the character to serve in the Senate?"
"James Talarico does not have the character to serve," replied Scott. "At the end of the day the contrast is clear."
Replied the group Veterans for Responsible Leadership, "Hahaha Tim Scott is soooooo bad at this."
Welker went on to grill Scott about his party's rhetoric on El-Sayed, the Democratic senatorial candidate for Michigan.
"Are Republicans trying to scare voters based on the fact El-Sayed would be the first Muslim senator?" she asked.
"Not at all," said Scott. "He's the one that he was committed to Sharia Law."
This claim appears to arise from a 2009 New York Times report about a Michigan bank that helped Islamic clients by offering mortgage alternatives that complied with Sharia’s forbidding of “riba,” often translated as usury or interest.
The report includes an interview with a Rhodes Scholar medical student who was able to buy a home with the bank's help.
"For customers like Abdul El-Sayed, though, the bank was literally a godsend," the Times reported. "A generation earlier, Mr. El-Sayed’s father had had no choice under Shariah but to save up until he could buy a home with cash."
The phrase "Sharia Law" also appears in a Washington Post analysis published Sunday about the wave of anti-Islamic attacks his candidacy has faced.
"The fixation on El-Sayed’s faith is part of a growing embrace of open Islamophobia by some Republicans this year, coinciding with a war on Iran and increased hostilities in the Middle East," the report stated. "Politically, those barbs have triggered few penalties within the party."
Addressing Scott's comments on "Meet the Press," Democratic strategist Leslie Marshall argued that the answer to Welker's question about trying to scare voters, "was clearly yes."
Finally, Scott's attempts to blame former President Joe Biden for the current economy were criticized openly online and by Welker herself.
"Inflation was at 3 percent when President Biden left office, it's at 3.4 perfect right now" said Welker. "Gas prices are over 4 dollars a gallon.... he promised he would lower prices on day one — did he break that promise? Prices have gone up!"
"Well, I'll —" Scott began, then tried again. "The good news is you don't disagree with the fact that Joe Biden brought 21 percent extra costs on the American families."
"The Biden administration is over," replied Welker. "This is the Trump administration."