The “establishment” Republican donors, ones eager for a candidate to take the lead in that improbable scenario where disgraced former President Trump’s legal problems derail his campaign before the 2024 primaries are decided, love pretty much everything about South Carolina Senator Tim Scott – except for the fact that he’s a 57 year-old lifelong bachelor and they want to know more about his personal life and history before they start writing checks, Axios reports.

Literally, Axios writes they’re asking “Scott’s team for more detail about his bachelor status,” because they’re worried he might be a gay. Scott did tell Axios he had a girlfriend in an interview back in May, but wanted to keep her identity private and his campaign responded to a request for comment by saying that he’ll be speaking more about it publicly in the coming weeks.

That the GOP donors are so concerned about Scott’s status is funnier than Scott’s status itself. That he’s Black already makes him a risky sell to intolerant MAGA voters, so how much worse could it get if he’s gay too? South Carolinians reelected Scott and fellow Palmetto State Senator Lindsey Graham in recent years in a state third only to Iowa and New Hampshire in importance in the Republican presidential primary calendar. So if they already place trust in the Republican electorate there to make a choice influencing 47 other states then why not trust one of the choices they already made?

Then again if Trump drops out and Scott takes the lead there’s going to be way more scrutiny. All bets are off if the national electorate learns he’s neither straight nor gay but an asexual weirdo.