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Who is Scott Nevins? Comic calls Tim Scott 'Uncle Tom' for rebuttal to Joe Biden, Internet calls it ‘caucasity’

Known for the Bravo series 'The People's Couch', the New York-based comedian attacked the South Carolina Republican by saying he was 'Uncle Tom'ing it for his life' in his speech

Comedian Scott Nevins came under fire on social media early Thursday, April 29, after he "jokingly" used a racist slur against Sen Tim Scott after the latter delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden's address to Congress. 

Known for the Bravo series 'The People's Couch', the New York-based comedian attacked the South Carolina Republican by saying he was "Uncle Tom'ing it for his life" in his speech. 

"Sen @TimScottSC is uncle Tom'ing it for his life. So sad. South Carolina should be so ashamed," Nevins tweeted, sparking a storm on social media. He deleted the post later, apologizing for using the pejorative term and claiming it was simply an "ironic joke."

"Tonight I tried to do an ironic joke about Sen Tim Scott using the term 'Uncle Tom' in his rebuttal. While I was shocked by his lack of self-awareness, I should not have used that term myself, even in reference. That was not right. I apologize," Nevins wrote.

But the internet is written in ink. Eagle-eyed observers on social media were quick to screenshot Nevins's deleted tweet and it led to several prominent figures calling him out.

Meanwhile, people scoured his Twitter feed and brought up his past controversial tweets. Many of them appeared to show Nevins calling several Black figures Uncle Toms for holding an opposing viewpoint, thus sparking further outrage on social media. "Apparently you have made the same 'hilarious' joke about Dr. Ben Carson," one commented. "Holy cow @ScottNevins what is wrong with you. You 'apologized for the tweet above saying it was an attempt at a joke but this is your history???" said another. One Twitter user tweeted, "Dare I say.... The caucasity?!"

"Personally, I would accept this apology and move on. But the left has told us apologies aren’t enough. And it’s time to hold them to their own standards," right-wing pundit Raheem Kassam said. "An apology that still takes a shot at the guy you’re apologizing to isn’t an apology," Attorney Jenna Ellis tweeted.

Meanwhile, it wasn't long before "Uncle Tim" began trending on Twitter. The Washington Times noted Sen Scott had said in his speech, “I get called Uncle Tom and the N-word by progressives … I know firsthand, our healing [from racism] is not finished.”

Some conservatives alleged there was a double standard exercised by Twitter. “Twitter is still going out of its way to make racist attacks against GOP Sen. Tim Scott go viral,” claimed Mollie Hemingway of the Federalist, calling the micro-blogging site's conduct “disgusting.”

"Would love to understand why @Twitter will ban all kinds of offensive language aimed in one direction but when it’s aimed in the other, such as at a Republican like @TimScottSC, it’s trending," reporter Sarah Westwood wrote alongside a list of trending topics that included "Uncle Tim."

“If this trend was aimed at a Dem, every big media person would be blowing up Twitter for not doing something about it," another user added. "Since it’s aimed at a Republican, it’s only people on the right highlighting it, those media ppl stay silent, & Twitter doesn’t feel like they need to react.”