GOP presidential candidate Tim Scott says the 2020 election wasn't 'stolen,' but contends that 'there was cheating'

• GOP Sen. Tim Scott said the 2020 election wasn't "stolen," but feels that "there was cheating."
• Scott made the comments while stumping in Iowa as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination.

Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott on Friday said he didn't believe that the 2020 presidential election was "stolen," but argued that "there was cheating" in the contest that saw now-President Joe Biden defeat then-President Donald Trump, according to NBC News.

Since launching his 2024 White House bid in May, the South Carolina senator has sought to offer GOP voters a conservative candidacy rooted in unity and optimism. And Trump's election claims have proven to be highly divisive, with the former president continuing to claim — without any evidence — that he was the true victor in the 2020 contest.

"I do not believe the election was stolen," Scott said during a town hall meeting in Davenport, Iowa. "There was cheating, but was the election stolen? There's a difference. I think [in] every election there's cheating."

On Jan. 5, 2021, a day before the certification of the 2020 results was disrupted by rioting at the US Capitol, Scott expressed gratitude toward Trump for his term in office while also speaking out against voting irregularities.

"In nearly every election across this great country, there is some modicum of error. Some errors are merely mistakes, while some are intentional, and therefore fraud. Some mistakes are inconsequential, while some could in fact change the outcome of elections," the senator said in a statement at the time.

"We must work to end these errors — be they intentional, negligent, or otherwise," he continued. "Simply put, there is no acceptable error rate when it comes to something as foundational and sacred as our vote. We must be vigilant in ensuring every lawfully cast vote is counted and no unlawfully cast vote is counted."

Scott then spoke of his support of Trump as the then-president sought legal remedies to further probe the 2020 election, but acknowledged that several Trump-nominated judges did not allow certain lawsuits to proceed due to insufficient evidence.

"I have been adamant in supporting the President's legal right to pursue any and every lawful avenue to investigate, litigate and adjudicate allegations of error, fraud, or misconduct," he said at the time.

"The President's legal team exercised its right to access the courts by initiating suits in state and federal courts in numerous states. Some of these lawsuits have even been presided over and adjudicated by conservative judges nominated by President Trump. Thus far, no justice, judge, or fact finder has found evidence indicating the election results in those states should be overturned," he added.

Trump has often needled Republicans who have rejected his claims about the 2020 election.

Some Republicans — frustrated by candidates who lost competitive races in last year's midterms after embracing Trump's election claims — have urged the party to move on from the former president's 2020-related messaging.

While Scott is directly challenging Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, both men have long had a friendly relationship.

Last year, before Scott entered the presidential contest, he expressed an openness to potentially becoming Trump's vice presidential running mate. And in May, The New York Times reported that Trump privately said he was "just going to say nice things about Tim" if the senator entered the Republican presidential primary.

Trump publicly wished Scott luck on the day that the senator announced his presidential campaign and at the same time criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' candidacy.