Sen. Tim Scott: Biden's voting rights speech was 'offensive' to me as a Southerner and an American

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Tim Scott: Biden wants us to deny what we see and believe what he says

South Carolina Republican senator slams Biden’s ‘disheartening’ voting rights speech on ‘The Story.’

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said Wednesday he was "offended" by President Biden's divisive voting rights speech, telling Fox News the country has "fought too hard, too long for the progress that he’s denying."

"It's offensive to me as a Southerner, but more importantly, it’s offensive to me as an American," Scott told "The Story" host Martha MacCallum.

MSNBC’S AL SHARPTON: BIDEN’S VOTING ADDRESS WAS A ‘YOU’RE GOING TO HELL’ SPEECH, NOT A VOTE-GETTING ONE

Biden warned of a stark dichotomy between the proponents and opponents of the Democrats' election law overhaul bill dubbed the "John Lewis Voting Rights Act," asking a crowd in Atlanta on Tuesday whether they were on the side of reviled figures like segregationist Gov. George Wallace and Confederate President Jefferson Davis, or on the side of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and the late John Lewis.

President Joe Biden speaks in support of changing the Senate filibuster rules to ensure the right to vote is defended, at Atlanta University Center Consortium, on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Wallace notably proclaimed in his 1963 gubernatorial inauguration address, "segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."

Scott scolded Biden for invoking the divisive rhetoric, calling the president's inappropriate attempt at a joke during his speech "hard to digest."

"That is disheartening," he said. "The importance of the civil rights movement can never be overstated. The fact that we have a president of these United States looking for a way to get laughs at a rally around lying to people about voting is just hard to digest."

"I’m insulted that he refuses to recognize the tremendous progress made by Americans, not by Republicans or Democrats, not by Black folks or White folks, by Americans coming together to fight for the rights of every single man, woman to vote … how he missed the opportunity to shine the bright light on progress and instead used something that has been proven to be untrue time and time again," Scott added.

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., questions Chris Magnus as he appears before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his nomination to be the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Oct. 19, 2021. Rod Lamkey/Pool via REUTERS (Rod Lamkey/Pool via REUTERS)

BIDEN LINKS REPUBLICANS WITH SEGREGATIONIST GEORGE WALLACE, WHOM THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF HAS PRAISED

Scott's comments came just after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., torched Biden's speech on the Senate floor, calling it "deliberately divisive" and one that was "designed to pull our country further apart."

The misguided speech has not just been knocked by Republicans. Liberals have also gone after the president for his peculiar word choices.

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MSNBC commentator Al Sharpton said Biden's rhetoric was reminiscent of a "you’re going to hell" speech rather than one that would get voters’ support.

MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough said Biden's choice of words "may have overshot the mark," as he seeks to persuade moderate Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., to eliminate the filibuster, which creates a 60-vote threshold to advance legislation.