South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott took on concerns about whether he, a Black man, has what it takes to garner the support of minority voters as he was grilled by the hosts of “The View” about his views on systemic racism in America and LGBTQ equality.

Scott appeared on ABC’s “The View” on Monday to defend his view on the opportunities he says Black people have in America, despite pervading notions of racism and white supremacy. He also shared insights on attacks toward members of the LGBTQ community, prompting studio audience members to “boo” him.

“I believe America can do for anyone what she’s done for me. Restoring hope, creating opportunities and defending and protecting the America that we love is such an important combination,” Scott said.

But Scott’s position on what it means to be the “exception” versus the “rule” was at odds with at least two of the five women co-hosts on the national television talk show.

“You’re the first Black senator elected in the South since Reconstruction … about 114 years,” said co-host Sunny Hostin. “Yet, you say that your life disproves the leftist lie, and my question to you is, I’m the exception, right? You’re the exception, maybe Ms. Whoopi Goldberg is the exception, but we are not the rule.

“At nearly every turn … achievements in economics, education, health care, criminal justice and housing were fought, threatened and erased most often by white violence. You (Scott) have indicated that you don’t believe in systemic racism. What is your definition of systemic racism?”

Scott responded by saying that one of the reasons he agreed to come on the show “was because of the comments that were made about how the only way for a young African American kid to be successful in this country is to be the exception and not the rule,” Scott said. “That is a dangerous, offensive, disgusting message to send to our young people today that the only way to succeed is by being the exception.”

Scott is the first Black U.S. senator from the South since the 19th century, and he is only the fifth Black person ever to serve in that role. He was appointed to the Senate in 2013 by then-S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley, who now also is running for the Republican presidential nomination. Scott subsequently won election in 2014 and was reelected in 2016 and 2022.

The senator’s Monday talk show appearance comes after Goldberg and Hostin challenged Scott’s ability to understand the Black American experience, following his official announcement to run for president last week.

“One of the issues that Tim Scott has is that he seems to think, ‘Because I made it, everyone can make it,’” Hostin said. “Ignoring, again, the fact that he’s the exception and not the rule. And until he’s the rule, then he can stop talking about systemic racism.”

In addition, Goldberg previously said that Scott had “Clarence Thomas syndrome” as it relates to his vision for America.

“If you’re running for president, you got to do more than that,” Goldberg said last week on The View. “You have to represent us as a nation and then say, ‘And as a Black man this is also how I feel,’ but you can’t pretend that it’s not there, that it’s not an issue for the people you’re running – for the party you’re running for. They are, in part, the problem,” she said.

On Monday’s appearance, Scott received a negative response from audience members when asked about how he felt Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another 2024 GOP candidate, was handling Disney and LBGTQ advocacy.

DeSantis has “been in a combat zone for a number of months over what I thought was the right issue as it relates to our young kids and what they’re being indoctrinated with,” Scott said.

“I thought (DeSantis) started off on the right foot on that issue (by) respecting our kids from the indoctrination that’s happening our culture is an important part of the equation.”

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