South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is expected to endorse former President Donald Trump on Friday at a rally in New Hampshire, according to reports.
The New York Times first reported the forthcoming endorsement, confirmed by “two people briefed on the matter.”
According to the report, Scott — who dropped out of the presidential race in November — is traveling with Trump to attend a rally in New Hampshire, days ahead of the state’s primary contest. The Times speculates that the endorsement could further discussions on potential running mates, as the former president has also developed a strong relationship with former presidential candidate Gov. Doug Burgum as well:
Mr. Trump has pursued Mr. Scott’s endorsement since the senator exited the race last year. His endorsement not only lifts Mr. Trump in New Hampshire, which hosts its primary on Tuesday, but also in South Carolina, the home state of one of Mr. Trump’s top remaining Republican rivals, Nikki Haley.
Scott formally dropped his presidential bid during an appearance on former Rep. Trey Gowdy’s (R-SC) Fox News show in November, but during that announcement, he made it clear that he was not prepared to endorse one of his former opponents.
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NBC News
“I’m going to recommend that the voters study each candidate and their candidacies and frankly, their past, and make a decision for the future of the country,” Scott said at the time.
“The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in on who they should endorse,” he added.
Scott’s endorsement of Trump follows the Republican frontrunner’s blowout victory in Iowa, besting his opponents by roughly 30 points in a historic victory. It also comes just days ahead of the Granite State’s primary race. Recent polling shows Trump leading Nikki Haley by double digits in New Hampshire. His endorsement certainly serves as a blow to Haley, who hopes to have a strong performance in their home state, although recent polling shows Trump leading her by double digits in the Palmetto State as well.
A video on social media shows Haley’s reaction to the report.
“We’ll wait and see if it happens,” she said:
Nikki Haley’s first reaction to a reported Tim Scott endorsement of Donald Trump. cc: @ShaneGoldmacher pic.twitter.com/svgeBo81Ua
— Mark Halperin (@MarkHalperin) January 19, 2024
Scott will not be alone in his endorsement, either, as former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Trump this week following the Iowa caucuses.
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C-SPAN
