U.S. Sen. Rick Scott would rather have six more years in the Senate than a run for President.
That's one takeaway from his comments on Tuesday's Hugh Hewitt Show, where the first-term Florida Senator repeatedly rebuffed the host's questions about a potential bid for the White House by saying he was "focused on the Senate."
"I have no plans to run for President and I have a 100% plan to run for the U.S. Senate," Scott said.
"I'm running for re-election for Senator from the great state of Florida," Scott said. "I will, you know, work my butt off for the next two years for my re-election."
Scott, who is wrapping up a two-year term as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in which the GOP failed to flip the Senate, seems to have a rocky path there as well. He got just ten votes in a challenge to Mitch McConnell's leadership of the minority caucus last month. Nevertheless, he asserted his priority is remaining in the chamber.
"My job is to represent my state. That's what I do every day. And that's what I'll continue to do," Scott added.
"I'm not going to do it. I'm running for the Senate. I'm running for my job as U.S. Senator."
Scott has faced questions about a presidential run since former President Donald Trump lost the White House in 2020. Back in December of that year, he said Trump "ought to do it again" while disclaiming interest of his own in a run.
"I'm not planning to run," Scott said on the Fox Business Network. "I'm a new Senator. I'm working on my job as a U.S. Senator, trying to make sure I'm taking care of everybody in Florida."
Yet by November of this year, Scott was not willing to endorse Trump, instead predicting a crowded field.
"There's going to be a lot of people probably (going to) announce. We'll watch what happens. I'm focused on getting a majority in the Senate," Scott said on Meet the Press.
Scott's non-answer tracks with previous failures to offer a definitive response to the same question.
"There are lots of people that I know who are looking to run for President," Scott told CNN's Erin Burnett in July. "They're going to all make a decision when they want to run. If President Trump or anybody else wants to announce, they'll do that."
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