How Tim Scott went from Trump challenger to Trump champion

This is part of The Hill’s ongoing series looking at Donald Trump’s potential vice presidential picks.

Senator Tim Scott (RS.C.) became a constant presence in Donald Trump’s orbit since abandoning his presidential candidacy at the end of last year.

He perplexed to the former commander in chief in New Hampshire as Trump tried to fend off a primary challenge from former UN ambassador Nikki Haley. He praised Trump at a rally in Scott’s home state of South Carolina in February. And he became a key replacement for the former president on national television.

Scott is now considered a leading contender for Trump’s vice presidential pick in November; if that happened and they won, he would also become the first black man nominated on the Republican ticket.

“Tim Scott would be a great choice,” said Brian Seitchik, a Republican strategist and Trump campaign alumnus. “He was certainly qualified to be president of the United States, he opens doors to the black community, which President Trump rates better in the black community in the cycle he did previously, and Senator Scott certainly encourages African-American voters to take an attitude of a new look at Donald Trump.”

Republicans argue that Scott would be an excellent strategic choice for Trump, not only because he could appeal to black voters but because of his humble roots in general.

“He doesn’t come from an elitist background, he’s the average American,” said Charles Cogar, Scott’s former legislative director. “He struggled as a child and knows it took a lot of work, determination and opportunity to get where he is and so he really wants to make sure everyone else has the same access to opportunity and education. It’s part of who he is.”

Scott, descended from enslaved Africans, grew up in a single-parent household in North Charleston, South Carolina. His mother worked long hours and the family moved frequently.

In his autobiography, he recalls the night his mother, Frances, left his father, a Vietnam Air Force veteran. Scott was just seven years old.

“All I remember is the green shag carpet, the screams, the sound of fists hitting the walls – and the conviction that everything bad that was happening was because of me,” Scott wrote. “I clearly remember the feeling of pressure, as if a heavy weight was pressing down on my chest and squeezing my shoulders, making it impossible for me to take a deep breath.”

Frances moved 7-year-old Scott and his older brother, Ben, into her parents’ house in South Carolina.

It wasn’t the last time Scott faced difficulties, and he would also face challenges at school. As a freshman in high school, he failed four of his classes. Sometimes he would find hateful notes in his locker, racial slurs scrawled on the paper.

But when he was a senior, he was elected student body president. After graduating from high school, Scott attended Presbyterian College and earned his bachelor’s degree from Charleston Southern University.

In 1994, Scott began a campaign for the Charleston County Council. But when he expressed his interest in the board to Democratic Party headquarters, Scott said, “they told me to get in line.”

So he ran as a Republican.

In 1995, he became the first black Republican elected to any office in South Carolina since 1902. In 2010, Scott ran for the House of Representatives and became the first black Republican from the Palmetto State to serve in the House since 1897.

When Senator Jim DeMint resigned in 2012, Haley, then the state’s governor, appointed Scott to replace him. Scott became the first black Republican senator since 1978 and the first black Republican senator from the South since Reconstruction.

“Scott’s experience as a U.S. Senator and his positive, solutions-oriented approach to politics could significantly improve the Trump campaign,” said Whitley Yates, director of diversity and engagement for the Indiana Republican Party. “Known for his focus on economic opportunity, education and criminal justice reform, Scott brings a compassionate and optimistic narrative that resonates with many voters.”

“Its appeal spans multiple demographic groups, including Democrats, Republicans, independents, white voters, Black/African-American voters and Latino voters, indicating its potential to help Trump attract a broader and more diverse voter base,” Yates added.

Scott launched his own bid for the White House last May but suspended the campaign in November. Since then, he has campaigned for Trump, who indicated earlier this year that Scott could be one of his top choices for running mate.

Trump has worked to build support among black voters, a critical voter base for Biden.

Although Pew Research Center polls show that the majority of black voters favor Democrats, 18% would vote for Trump if the election were held today – an increase from the 12% who voted for the former president in 2020.

Seitchik warned that a Scott pick won’t guarantee Trump will fare better with black voters on Election Day — but it could encourage them to reconsider.

But with Trump yet to announce who his running mate will be, Seitchik said the biggest questions will be how aggressive and loyal the senator will be during the campaign.

“The work is twofold. Certainly the job is to be a counterpuncher, but there is also a loyalty component here,” Seitchik said. “I assume one of the questions the Trump team will ask potential vice presidential candidates is: Would this person do anything different than Mike Pence did in January 2021? I don’t know the answer to that question from Senator Scott’s perspective, but I assume the answer to that question would be very important to the Trump team.”

Just hours after a violent mob attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Scott voted to certify the election of President Biden. Then, during a primary debate in August, Scott said that then-Vice President Mike Pence “absolutely” did the right thing that day.

But when asked earlier this month whether he would accept the November results if Biden were reelected, Scott refused to answer.

“Ultimately, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump,” Scott said.