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WASHINGTON (NewsNation) –– Former President Donald Trump has a new best buddy: Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., who threw his support behind the former president over his South Carolina political rival, Nikki Haley.
“Did you ever think that – [Haley] actually appointed you, Tim?” Trump said. “You must really hate her!”
“I just love you!” Scott declared on stage, receiving big cheers from the crowd.
So, who is the South Carolina Republican believed to be on the short list of contenders to become Trump’s pick for vice president?
Tim Scott’s path to politics
Scott describes himself as a “kid raised in poverty.” His grandfather picked cotton during the era of Jim Crow. He grew up in North Charleston, South Carolina, raised by a single mother. Emerging from his challenges, Scott graduated from Charleston Southern University in 1988.
Scott would go on to serve in the Charleston County Council, South Carolina State House and U.S. House of Representatives for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District. In 2012, then-Governor Nikki Haley appointed Scott to succeed Jim DeMint in the United States Senate.
He is the first Black person to serve in both chambers of Congress.
“Our family went from cotton to Congress in one lifetime,” Scott has reiterated in speeches. “And that’s why I believe the next American century can be better than the last.”
Scott’s political stances
Scott has a consistently conservative voting record throughout his political career, including top ratings from the National Rifle Association and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
He also believes in marriage between a man and woman, voting against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022, which offered protections for same-sex and interracial marriages.
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FILE – Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a town hall meeting, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023, in Oskaloosa, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File) -
Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks at a campaign event, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Rye, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) -
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., acknowledges attendees after speaking at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) -
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Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. Scott gives remarks at his presidential campaign announcement event at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University, on Monday, May 22, 2023, in North Charleston, S.C. Scott formalized his bid last week with federal campaign paperwork. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) -
FILE – South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, left, announces Rep. Tim Scott, right, as Sen. Jim DeMint’s replacement in the U.S. Senate during a news conference at the South Carolina Statehouse, Dec. 17, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. Scott has filed paperwork to enter the 2024 Republican presidential race. He’ll be testing whether a more optimistic vision of America’s future can resonate with GOP voters who have elevated partisan brawlers in recent years. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt, File) -
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott hugs his mother Frances Scott after announcing his candidacy for president of the United States on the campus of Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, S.C., Monday, May 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Mic Smith) -
Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott greets an audience member during U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride, Saturday, June 3, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) -
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks during a town hall meeting, Thursday, July 27, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Recently, Scott has vowed to back a federal ban on abortions after 15 weeks and supported ending birthright citizenship in the United States.
The South Carolina senator — a former small business owner of an insurance company — is an advocate for small businesses in his state.
Tim Scott’s 2024 presidential run
Scott launched his presidential campaign last May at his college alma mater, pitching himself as a positive alternative to his GOP opponents. The vision: “a new American sunrise, even brighter than before.”
Despite entering the race with a war chest of $22 million, in addition to raising millions from high-profile donors, Scott abruptly suspended his campaign Nov. 12 after failing to gain traction.
“I think the voters, who are the most remarkable people on the planet, have been really clear that they’re telling me, ‘Not now, Tim,’” he said in his announcement.
Tim Scott’s relationship with Nikki Haley, aligning with Trump
Scott and Haley’s relationship dates back to at least 2008 when they worked alongside each other for a single term in the state House.
Notably, Haley — as governor of South Carolina — appointed then-Rep. Scott to the Senate in 2012. In doing so, Scott became the first Black senator from the American South since the end of Reconstruction after the Civil War.
“He earned this seat for the person that he is; he earned this seat for the results he has shown; he earned this seat for what I know he’s going to do in making South Carolina and making our country proud,” Haley said.
When the two Palmetto State natives entered the race for president, they initially maintained an amicable relationship. However, in the second GOP debate, they sparred over their records.
Could Tim Scott be Trump’s vice president?
Scott is frequently discussed as a potential running mate to join Trump’s campaign for president.
In an interview with NewsNation this week, Scott bypassed the question of whether his appearance in New Hampshire with the former president was an audition for the role, insisting, “It was just about making sure that we win. The bottom line is this is the best way for us to have a better country, for us to have the right president.”
Scott’s public perception
For years, the marital status of Scott, a longtime bachelor, has been the subject of much scrutiny.
In November, Scott made his relationship with Mindy Noce public, telling reporters after a Republican presidential primary debate that they had been dating for “about a year.” Two months later, Scott announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he proposed to Noce, and “She said YES.”