EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is having a big-time moment in conservative politics only a few months after dropping out of the Republican presidential primary. On the cusp of the South Carolina primary, Scott finds himself front and center of the drama, having endorsed former President Donald Trump over his fellow South Carolinian, former Gov. Nikki Haley, who once appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate.
In recent weeks, Scott has been a constant presence on the news media airwaves with full-throated advocacy for the Trump campaign effort. In return, the former president has lavished praise upon Scott and fed into his already significant veepstakes buzz at a Fox News town hall event on Tuesday night.
“A lot of people are talking about that gentleman right over there,” Trump told the crowd in Greenville while gesturing to Scott. “He’s been such a great advocate. I have to say this in a very positive way, Tim Scott, he has been much better for me than he was for himself.”
On Friday, the Washington Examiner sat down with Scott for an exclusive interview:
How difficult of a decision was it to endorse former President Donald Trump over a fellow South Carolinian?
Scott: It was one of the easier decisions I’ve had to make in a long time. My working relationship with the former president was spotless. When I came to him about “opportunity zones,” he was so supportive. We worked together on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It was astounding how he shared the credit even though he didn’t have to. When I worked on historic black colleges and universities, he was the first person to say, “I want to help.” When I look into the future, the person I know can deliver low inflation, low crime, low unemployment, and high enthusiasm — that’s Donald Trump. Having worked with Nikki and with the former president, it just was an easy decision for me.
Your endorsement of Trump is particularly powerful because your brand is synonymous with words such as “honor” and “decency.” What would you say to voters who might hold reservations about Trump’s character?
Scott: If you look at the success of the policies that we were able to put in place when he was president, that success lies squarely on his shoulders. If you think that having a country that respects law enforcement is an absolute priority, the person who restores that is President Trump. If you contrast that with Joe Biden and the lunacy and the chaos and the crime across America, who’s paying the highest price? That’s the poorest Americans. If you believe in the concept of Matthew 25 as I do, that we should look for ways to help the helpless, and take a stand for those who cannot stand for themselves, according to Proverbs 31:8. Now I can’t say that the way he says things isn’t provocative, but what I can tell you is that he’s effective. I have to measure the outcomes, not just the way it’s brought to us.
This is a binary choice by the way, a simple, clear choice between one who says that prayer and God are important and nonnegotiable, and another party who questions that. It makes it an easy choice to support someone who is provocative but always ends up on the right side of the issues that we care about.
The veep chatter is getting louder. What’s that like on a personal level? To see your name topping so many people’s short list of preferred Trump running mates?
Scott: I’ll be honest with you, it makes me feel praise and thanks to the Lord. I was a kid growing up in a single-parent household mired in poverty. But with faith in the Lord, the blessing of winning the lottery of American citizenship, and a mother who sometimes believed that love comes on the edge of a switch, all things are possible. If it can happen for me, it can happen to anyone in the country. And that’s the beauty of 2024, not 1924. The truth is that any American can achieve whatever you set your sights on doing if you’re willing to do the work.
Do you think you’d make a great running mate and vice president?
Scott: Unfortunately, I’m not the one making the decision. Therefore, what I have to focus on is the mission of getting four more years of Donald Trump and no more years of Joe Biden.
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Peter Laffin is a contributor at the Washington Examiner. His work has also appeared in RealClearPolitics, the Catholic Thing, and the National Catholic Register.