First look — Tim Scott warns against "teaching kids that they are oppressors"

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will use the stage at the Reagan Library in California tonight to warn against "teaching kids that they are oppressors" and appeal to gig workers including ride-share drivers and food deliverers, according to excerpts shared with Axios.

Driving the news: In a speech as part of the "Time for Choosing" conservative speakers' series, Scott will say he's proof of conservatism lifting Americans of color — and bash President Biden and Democrats over inflation and national security threats.

Why it matters: Scott, the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, is often mentioned as a prospective 2024 presidential candidate and is on just about every GOP hopeful's short list for VP.

• He's also active in GOP efforts to attract more voters of color to the party.

What he's saying: "It was education, hard work, and faith that allowed my family to go from cotton to Congress in one lifetime," Scott says in the prepared remarks.

• "Parents have a right to know what their kids are being taught in the classroom... teaching kids that they are oppressors is just as bad as teaching kids they are always going to be victims."
• "President Reagan once said, 'Inflation is as violent as a mugger, as frightening as an armed robber and as deadly as a hit man... Democrats’ leadership has led to a 40-year high in inflation, and they’re still pouring more money on this crisis. That’s not good for moms making decisions in homes like the one I grew up in."
• "President Biden’s weakness on the global stage has emboldened terrorists, bullies, and dictators ... Bloodthirsty dictators like Putin only understand strength, and that’s what we must project from the United States."

• Scott will also call for energy independence, "a physical barrier on our southern border," and will take a swipe at the "The 1619 Project."

Flashback: Former Vice President Pence, in his own speech to the group last year, made headlines when he said the Constitution "affords the vice president no authority to reject or return electoral votes submitted to the Congress by the states."

Editor's note: The headline and story have been updated to clarify that Scott is addressing concerns in education broadly, not just criticism of public schools.