Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) delivered a Bible-based — and very personal — Father’s Day message specifically aimed at children who were growing up without fathers. Scott joined CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Sunday morning’s broadcast of “State of the Union,” where he talked about the fact that he’d grown up from the age of seven without his own father present — and then, when he married, he’d become a stepfather to his new wife’s adult children. He spoke about advice from a pastor, who’d reminded him that he had to “earn the right to influence” the lives of the adult children in his newly-blended family — and he said that advice had so far served him well. But then Tapper asked what advice he had for fathers — or for those who might be living without a father. WATCH: Senator Tim Scott’s powerful Father’s Day message: “If you are without a father, do not think that his absence somehow makes you less qualified to do anything. You are fearfully and wonderfully made… Do not let your dad’s absence be an excuse for doing something that you will… pic.twitter.com/QUZErFshMg — State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 21, 2026 “On this Father’s Day, what’s your message to all the people out there, either the dads or the people who don’t have dads?” Tapper asked. “If you are without a father, do not think that his absence somehow makes you less qualified to do anything. You are fearfully and wonderfully made,” Scott said, quoting Psalm 139:14. “But it is your responsibility at a certain age to take responsibility of your life and to make the most out of it.” “Do not let your dad’s absence be an excuse for doing something that you will later regret,” he added. Scott told Tapper that even though his own father had left when he was young, he’d always felt motivated to go out and make him proud. Senator Tim Scott’s dad left when he was 7 years old, but he still saw him through rose-colored glasses: “I don’t know very many kids who don’t want to make their dads proud.” pic.twitter.com/t1eGwVO028 — State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) June 21, 2026 “I don’t know very many kids who don’t want to make their dads proud,” he said.