Former Republican presidential candidate endorses Mr. Trump

Senator Scott endorsed Mr. Trump in the race for the White House, giving the former president an advantage over his opponent Haley in the state of New Hampshire.

"I'm here in New Hampshire to support the next president of the United States, Donald Trump!" Republican Senator Tim Scott said on January 19 at a Trump campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire. "We need Trump. We need a president who unites the country."

New Hampshire is the next state to hold its Republican presidential primary, scheduled for January 23. Mr. Trump previously won a landslide victory in Iowa on January 15.

CNN reported that Trump had talked to Scott to get the South Carolina senator’s support before the state’s primary on February 24. The move was made earlier because former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley was increasingly closing the gap with Trump in New Hampshire.

“He’s a great guy,” former President Trump said, referring to Senator Scott. “It means a lot to have his endorsement.”

Republican Senator Tim Scott speaks alongside former President Donald Trump in Concord, New Hampshire on January 19. Photo: AFP

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called Scott's endorsement of Trump a "huge blow" to Haley, who said the move was "disappointing, but not surprising."

In 2012, as governor of South Carolina, Haley appointed Rep. Scott to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint, making Scott the first black senator in the Senate since 1979.

Polls show Trump still leading in New Hampshire, ahead of Haley and DeSantis. According to an average of polls compiled by FiveThirtyEight as of January 16, Trump and Haley have 43.5% and 30.6% support, respectively. DeSantis’s support has steadily declined, to 5.4%.

Scott, 58, announced his candidacy in May 2023, hoping to become the first black Republican president. He has portrayed himself as a conservative candidate who is more likely to heal America’s political divide than former President Trump and Governor DeSantis.

Polls show Mr Scott often finishing sixth among Republican candidates, with only 2-3% of the vote. He dropped out of the race in November, but did not announce his endorsement at the time.

Nhu Tam (According to AFP, Reuters )

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