Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) slammed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley on Sunday for her attacks on former President Donald Trump’s age and mental acuity. His comments come shortly after the senator endorsed Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.
Scott made an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week” in which he addressed a series of issues with host Martha Raddatz, who confronted the senator about Trump calling Haley “birdbrain” and his argument that Haley is not eligible to be president because her parents were not United States citizens when she was born.
In response, Scott pivoted to Haley’s comments about Trump’s age and mental fitness, arguing that it turns off older voters.
Both candidates should focus on the issues without any question. But when she talks about his age and competency tests, that turns off senior voters. It’s one of the reasons why senior voters support Donald Trump.
Raddatz pressed the issue, attempting to steer the conversation back to Trump’s insults to Haley. Scott acknowledged that the former president’s “language is far more provocative than mine” but reiterated that “talking about age is inappropriate when they are confident, qualified and ready to go be the next president of the United States.”
Tim Scott refuses to condemn Trump calling Nikki Haley “bird brain”: “His language is far more provocative than mine … [but] I also think talking about someone’s age is inappropriate.” pic.twitter.com/m8v5R2o1b3
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 28, 2024
Haley is the last candidate standing who is trying to take on Trump for the Republican nomination going into the South Carolina primaries. Trump handily won in Iowa and New Hampshire, and the polling for South Carolina, Haley’s home state, is favorable for the former president.
According to the latest RealClearPolling average, Trump leads Haley 52 percent to 21.8 percent in the Palmetto State, slightly higher than a 30-point lead. Nationally, the situation looks even more bleak for Haley. Trump is beating her 70.3 percent to 12.6 percent, a lead of over 57 points.
This might explain Haley’s increased attacks on the former president. At this point, it does not appear likely that she even has a chance at unseating him as the frontrunner.
As for Tim Scott, it was recently announced that he will play a role in Trump’s campaign during the general election. He will serve as a key surrogate to win black support for the former president, who has performed better than many of his Republican predecessors among African Americans.
The South Carolina senator’s public support of Trump comes as Republicans have recently made a concerted effort to appeal to more Black voters, long seen as a core constituency for Democrats.
“He certainly brings a lot to the table,” Brian Seitchik, GOP strategist and Trump campaign alum, told The Hill. “He’s a substantive person. He’s very conservative, with strong ties into the African American community.”
Those ties could be important for Trump as he seeks to broaden his support ahead of what is expected to be a close race in November against President Biden, who has been struggling in polls.
A source familiar with the senator said Scott and Trump “have kept up frequently since the senator left the race in November.”
“The senator and former president have a very strong working relationship and accomplished a lot during the Trump administration,” the source added.
As the race continues, it becomes even more inevitable that Trump will win the GOP nod for president and Republicans are already beginning to discuss his matchup with President Joe Biden. What is not yet clear is what role Haley will play on this stage as election season prepares to go into full swing.
