Sen Scott says decision to endorse Trump over Haley came down to 'one simple question'

LACONIA, N.H. - South Carolina GOP Sen. Tim Scott spoke to Fox News Digital on Monday night about why he endorsed former President Trump instead of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, even though Haley appointed him to his Senate seat.

"It came down to a simple question, who guarantees us the best future for the average American who starts where I started?" Scott told Fox News Digital in New Hampshire while speaking in support of Trump.

"I started as a poor kid living in really devastated neighborhoods. I asked myself, the Reagan revolution that transformed my opportunities, who's best suited for the kids today? Living in similar search situations to have that kind of Reagan revolution?"

Scott continued, "I don't have to look that far in the past; 2016, 2020, we got actually the lowest unemployment, but we had the fastest wage growth for the bottom quintile of our demographics. That is powerful. So if we can have that and world peace, count me in, Donald Trump is the only guy that's going to do that."

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Screengrab of Sen. Tim Scott on "Sunday Night in America" on January 21, 2024.

Scott announced his support for Trump while alongside the former president at a rally Friday evening in Concord, New Hampshire.

"We need, you see, we need a president who doesn't see Black or White. We need a president who sees Americans as one American family," Scott said. "And that's why I came to the very warm state of New Hampshire to endorse the next president of these United States, President Donald Trump."

The announcement came despite the long political history Scott shares with Haley, dating back to when they both served together in the state legislature. In 2012, then-Gov. Haley appointed then-Rep. Scott to the Senate to fill a vacancy.

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Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign event in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"Look, I mean South Carolina is a blood sport and I have dealt with the old guard and the fellas all the time," Haley told Fox News host Neil Cavuto on Saturday about Scott's endorsement, adding that appointing Scott as senator was the "right thing to do."

"Everybody has a decision to make and they have to live with their decision. He'll have to live with his. What I know is, we're going to continue to go forward. Trump has focused his time on getting as many Washington insiders, elected officials, endorsements as he can, if you notice, I haven't tried to do any of that," Haley explained, adding that she will not receive a lot of legislative endorsements in South Carolina because "that's not who I'm fighting for."

When asked if he has had any recent conversations with Haley, Scott said, "Only texts."

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Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) takes a brief tour of the Woodlawn neighborhood with Pastor Corey Brooks before speaking at Brooks' New Beginnings Church on Oct. 23, 2023 in Chicago. (Getty Images)

"Honestly, we spoke probably 4 or 5 weeks ago," Scott said. "We've texted. I texted her the day before I made my announcement to tell her that there was an announcement coming soon so that she would not be completely caught off guard."

Haley has denied that Scott reached out to her, which his team has pushed back on.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report