African American GOP candidate for President Sen. Tim Scott has ripped into the Obamas over their response to the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, saying that the former president and first lady’s words were a “A lie from the pit of hell.”
“I’m running for president because I know America can do for anyone what she has done for me. But sending the message that somehow the color of your skin means that you will not be able to achieve your goals from an educational perspective, from an income perspective or family formation, that is a lie from the pit of hell,” said Scott to Fox News.
“We will not be judged solely by the color of our skin,” he added. “That’s what the ruling said today. But that is the story of America. That is a story of American progress, and we can all celebrate that today.”
Michelle Obama said her heart was broken for students who were wondering what opportunities might be open to them in the wake of the court decision.
“So often, we just accept that money, power, and privilege are perfectly justifiable forms of affirmative action, while kids growing up like I did are expected to compete when the ground is anything but level,” she wrote in a statement.
Her husband, the former Democratic president, also offered a brief statement about the ruling that prompted Scott’s ire.
“Like any policy, affirmative action wasn’t perfect,” he wrote. “But it allowed generations of students like Michelle and me to prove we belonged. Now it’s up to all of us to give young people the opportunities they deserve — and help students everywhere benefit from new perspectives.”
The 6-3 Supreme Court decision has been criticized by many on the left, while conservatives have praised the end of discrimination against Asian Americans in higher education.