Trump's "road is paved" to the White House, the Republican senator withdraws from the race

Eager to be the first African-American to secure the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential race, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott has dropped out of the running against Donald Trump and others.

Although Scott was initially very well funded, he failed to make a noticeable impact on public opinion.

" I think the voters, who are the most prominent people on the planet, have made it really clear that they're saying, 'Not now Tim,' " he told the media after announcing his withdrawal from the race.

After entering the race in May for the Republican nomination, Scott, 58, presented himself as a deeply conservative candidate who could do a better job of healing US political divisions than Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The only black man to ever serve in both houses of Congress, Scott is the grandson of a cotton worker and the son of a single mother. He has often talked about how his family rose "from cotton to Congress" throughout his life.

Senator Scott's decision to leave the race came two months before the start of the presidential season in Iowa. The latest CBS News/YouGov poll estimated he had just 4% of voter support, putting him in fifth place in the Republican race and well behind former President Trump who remains the front-runner to challenge Joe Biden.

Several major donors who supported Scott say they are now shifting their allegiance to former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who is also from South Carolina. She was widely seen as a better performer than Scott in the televised Republican debates.

So far, Scott, who has served as a senator since 2013, has not endorsed any of the Republican candidates remaining in the race and has ruled out a run for vice president. (A2 Televizion)