Tim Scott's turn in the White House spotlight — and other 2024 campaign buzz

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FOX News panel call Sen. Scott a 'major' player in GOP following Biden response

FOX News' Martha MacCallum, Bret Baier, Ben Domenech, Chris Wallace, Brit Hume and Katie Pavlich analyze the South Carolina Republican's response to the president's congressional address

Sen. Tim Scott brushes off any talk of a 2024 White House run.

The rising star in the GOP told Fox News a few weeks ago that his "only objective is to be the United States senator for the great state of South Carolina."

But Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, whom political pundits view as a potential White House contender in the next presidential race, saw his star shine even brighter after delivering the GOP rebuttal to President Biden’s address to a joint session of Congress.

SCOTT’S SPEECH BUZZING AMONG GOP IN IOWA AND N.H.

The senator from South Carolina argued in his response speech Wednesday that Biden has failed to deliver on the promises he made during the 2020 White House race. And he charged that "three months in, the actions of the president and his party are pulling us further and further apart."

Scott’s speech grabbed rave reviews on the right – and got a thumbs-up from some influential Republicans in the two states that kick off the presidential nominating calendar.

New Hampshire GOP chair Steve Stepanek told Fox News on Thursday, "I’m going to be watching Sen. Scott because I think great things are before him…We’d love to have him up here."

While he runs for reelection next year, Scott is also flying around the country to help fellow Republicans on the ballot in the 2022 midterms. Two weeks ago, those travels took him to Iowa, as he headlined a state GOP fundraising event. The stop sparked more speculation about his possible national ambitions in 2024.

Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann told Fox News on Friday that Scott "is a man of action and his message resonated with Iowans."

"Scott effortlessly laid out the principles that make our party great and pointed to a more hopeful future for our country," Kaufmann added.

Pence back in spotlight

Former Vice President Mike Pence, in his first speech since the end of President Trump’s administration, vowed that he’ll be spending the coming months "pushing back on the liberal agenda" from the Biden administration which he stressed was wrong for the country.

"We've got to guard our values ... by offering a positive agenda to the American people, grounded in our highest ideals," Pence said as he addressed the Palmetto Family Council, a conservative Christian nonprofit, on Thursday night. "Now, over the coming months, I'll have more to say about all of that."

PENCE TARGETS BIDEN IN FIRST POST-VICE PRESIDENCY SPEECH

Pence aides tell Fox News the speech – coming on the same day Biden marked 100 days in office – kicked off the start of a vigorous travel schedule, with the former vice president making one or two trips per week going forward, to help fellow Republicans on the ballot this year and next year.

But the speech – and two other stops – took place in South Carolina, which holds the third contest in the GOP presidential nominating calendar and the first southern primary. And that’s sparking more 2024 speculation surrounding Pence. A Republican strategist in the state suggested that the former vice president’s trip "is a clear signal" of what may eventually turn into a presidential campaign.

Christie keeps accusing Biden of lying

Chris Christie is once again accusing President Biden of lying, this time charging that the president is "not telling the truth" about the tax increases inside the sweeping spending proposal he unveiled Wednesday night.

Speaking hours before Biden’s address to Congress, the former two-term GOP New Jersey governor once again argued that the president is "not telling the truth to the American people to hide a socialist agenda."

But this time, the unsuccessful 2016 Republican presidential candidate-turned-political analyst and pundit didn’t make his comments on his national Sunday talk show perch on ABC News. Instead, his attacks came as he headlined a virtual call of more than 100 influential New Hampshire conservative activists and leaders.

CHRIS CHRISTIE ACCUSES BIDEN OF LYING ‘TO HIDE A SOCIALIST AGENDA’

Unlike other potential GOP White House hopefuls, Christie isn't afraid to publicly discuss his national aspirations. In an interview with Fox News in March, Christie said any decision regarding potentially making another White House run wouldn't come "until after the (2022) midterms." And sources close to the former governor have told Fox News that Christie is seriously mulling another presidential bid.

Cheney on 2024 and Biden fist-bump

Republican Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming isn’t closing any doors to a potential 2024 run for the White House.

"I’m not going to rule anything in or out. Ever is a long time," the third-ranking GOP lawmaker in the House of Representatives told the New York Post in an interview that was published Monday. Cheney, who was attending the House Republican retreat in Orlando, Florida, was asked if she’d consider a 2024 presidential bid.

CHENEY DOESN’T RULE OUT POTENTIAL 2024 PRESIDENTIAL RUN

A longtime vocal Republican critic of Trump, Cheney was the most high-profile of the 10 House Republicans who voted in January to impeach Trump on a charge of inciting the deadly Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists and other Trump supporters, who aimed to disrupt congressional certification of Trump's presidential election defeat by Biden. She’s been among those at the top of Trump’s GOP enemies list ever since.

Then came Wednesday night, when Cheney received a fist bump from the Democratic president as Biden made his way down the center aisle of the House ahead of his address to the joint session of Congress. Cheney felt the need to explain the greeting the next day – after facing criticism. She tweeted, "I disagree strongly w/@JoeBiden policies, but when the President reaches out to greet me in the chamber of the US House of Representatives, I will always respond in a civil, respectful & dignified way."

Scott to help out NH Republicans

Fox News learned this week that the other Scott in the Senate, Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, is going to headline a virtual New Hampshire GOP fundraiser on May 25. The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, who pundits consider a potential White House hopeful, earlier this year called in to the same regular conservative meeting of New Hampshire Republicans that Christie headlined this past week. And Scott also traveled to Iowa last month to headline a fundraiser for the state GOP.

Trump: '100% thinking' about 2024 run

Another tease from the former president about a potential 2024 run to try and return to the White House.

WATCH TRUMP ON FOX BUSINESS’ ‘MORNINGS WITH MARIA’

In an interview with FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on Thursday on "Mornings with Maria," Trump said he’s "100% thinking about running again" and vowed that "we will be very successful."

Asked by Bartiromo whether he would consider Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as his next running mate if he makes another presidential bid, Trump didn’t directly answer but said DeSantis is a "great guy" whom he admires.