Sen. Tim Scott endorses Donald Trump

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott delivered a blow to Nikki Haley forward of the New Hampshire major, showing on stage with former President Donald Trump and endorsing him at his rally in Harmony.

“IS THIS TRUMP COUNTRY?” Scott stated to the gang, hyping them up.

Scott touted Trump’s immigration, social safety and his battle in opposition to crimes earlier than he declared his endorsement.

“That is why I got here to the very heat state of New Hampshire to endorse the subsequent president of the US, Donald Trump,” Scott stated.

“We want a president who will unite our nation,” Scott stated. “We want Donald Trump.”

Trump thanked Scott, praising him as a “excellent man,” and a “very revered man” – on the similar time disparaged different Republicans for “losing lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}” attacking him. He particularly zeroed in on Haley, accusing her of partaking in an “unholy alliance” with “RINOs” and “never-Trumpers.”

The endorsement comes only a few days earlier than the New Hampshire major, set for Jan. 23.

All through his marketing campaign, Scott was tormented by rumors that he was vying to be Trump’s vp. Many citizens informed ABC Information that they noticed Scott extra as a No. 2. Scott slammed the rumors, saying he didn’t run for president to be in second place.

Scott, who has pledged to not run for reelection within the Senate, informed CNBC’s “Squawk Field” in December that his endorsement “actually will not occur this yr, if I do it in any respect.” A supply confirmed to ABC Information that he arrived at this resolution solely not too long ago.

Haley, who served as South Carolina governor from 2011 to 2017, appointed Scott to the Senate in 2012.

Haley completed in an in depth second to DeSantis within the Iowa caucuses — each of whom misplaced to Donald Trump. She’s trailing the previous president in New Hampshire polls, in response to 538’s most up-to-date polling averages. A major win might be used as a option to construct momentum for her marketing campaign as Haley heads into her dwelling state of South Carolina, the place she remains to be polling far behind Trump.

In a press release, Haley drew on Trump’s personal phrases to criticize Scott’s endorsement.

“Fascinating that Trump’s lining up with all of the Washington insiders when he claimed he wished to empty the swamp,” Haley stated within the assertion. “However the fellas are gonna do what the fellas are gonna do.”