MSNBC guest Tara Setmayer launched a racially-charged attack at Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), who is black, claiming that his presidential run would go nowhere and referring to him as a “racial pacifier” and a “racial security blanket.”

Setmayer, a senior adviser with the Lincoln Project, joined MSNBC host Jonathan Capehart on his “Saturday Show” — and she weighed in on the recent soft launch of Scott’s 2024 presidential campaign.

“I find Senator Scott fascinating, a black Republican who isn’t too shy in talking about race, but whose views on race can be problematic both within the GOP and in the general public.” Capehart began, asking, “So, I mean, am I giving him too much credit?”

“Listen, Tim Scott, bless his heart, is trying to make a name for himself now, taking advantage of the fact that Republicans every election cycle need a racial pacifier,” Setmayer said. “He’s their racial security blanket in the race.”

Setmayer immediately pivoted to former President Donald Trump, claiming that Republicans had failed to “diversify the tent” and adding, “They went in the complete opposite direction. But the one constant has been good ole Senator Tim Scott, the lone black Republican in the Senate.”

She went on to say that she respected Senator Scott’s life story, but not the fact that he had supported Trump and voted to acquit him after the January 6th-related impeachment.

“That I have no respect for. None whatsoever. I have no respect for someone that cannot take a firm position on where he stands on our democracy. On Donald Trump’s existential threat to it,” Setmayer continued. “I mean, the 1990s called and they want their campaign video back. There’s nothing extraordinary about what Tim Scott is doing. I mean, he’s a big snooze and he has no chance. None whatsoever. Zip, zero.”

Following some backlash over the racially-charged nature of her comments, Setmayer complained about all the “hate-filled msgs” that were flooding her inbox and doubled down on her comments, claiming the GOP had been “TRIGGERED.”

WATCH:

My comments on @weekendcapehart about Sen Tim Scott being a “racial security blanket” for the GOP has TRIGGERED them!
So many hate filled msgs since this segment 🤷🏽‍♀️

The truth has a way of doing that.

Here’s a clip.

📺 Full video go here: https://t.co/bRkLrsqkdK pic.twitter.com/LKNBuYAFgF

— Tara Setmayer 🌻 (@TaraSetmayer) April 16, 2023

Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) said Sunday that former President Donald Trump’s attacks on Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis are making it harder to have a debate about Social Security.

Appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Cassidy blamed both Trump and President Joe Biden for “demagoguing” the issue, which has made it difficult for Republicans to talk about reforming the entitlement.

“Joe Biden and former President Trump have the same plan, which is to do nothing on Social Security, and to allow a 24% cut to benefits when the fund goes insolvent in about eight or nine years,” said Cassidy. “It does make it harder. When your leading presidential candidates have made the decision to deceive the American people and to say there isn’t a problem, when every actuary who looks at this says that there is a problem … it makes it very hard when they are so irresponsible. It is true for President Biden. It is true for former President Trump.”

Cassidy touted his proposal to establish a mutual fund apart from Social Security that would help it maintain sustainability. He then blasted political leaders on both sides of the aisle again.

“If one side proposes something, the other side will demagogue it,” he said. “We see Trump and we see Biden demagoguing it now. We need honesty with the American people. But we have a big idea that’ll solve 75% of the problem, and that’s a pretty good idea.”

A super PAC backing Trump has spent millions of dollars on ads attacking DeSantis, according to FEC records. A filing on Friday revealed that Make America Great Again spent $1.5 million for “placed media: TV” opposing DeSantis. The PAC has also released two ads slamming DeSantis for votes to cut Social Security and Medicare while he was in Congress. It cites votes for non-binding resolutions in 2013, 2014, and 2015 while serving in the House that recommended raising the retirement age to 70 and reducing benefits for some.

“The more you learn about DeSantis, the more you see he just doesn’t share our values,” one ad says.

“DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements, like cutting Medicare, slashing Social Security, even raising our retirement age,” says another.

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The ads will run on CNN and Fox News.

Biden has spent months claiming that Congressional Republicans would kill Social Security, attacking Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) in particular over a proposal to sunset all legislation after five years.