Haley, Trump lobby Scott for endorsement

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Trump have reached out to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) about endorsing their presidential candidacies, The Hill has confirmed. 

A source familiar with the situation confirmed other outlets’ reports that both candidates have tried courting the former presidential contender and high-profile Senate Republican to throw his support behind them. Semafor first reported their attempts. 

The outlet reported that Haley called Scott on Friday to try to get his endorsement, while Trump had privately worked to get Scott’s support. 

Scott struggled to gain traction in Republican primary polls for months before dropping out last month. Still, he was well-liked and viewed more positively than several of his competitors.

But all the major candidates seem to have expressed interest in Scott since he left the race. 

Semafor reported that Haley, who is a former governor of South Carolina, texted Scott after he dropped out, and Trump and Scott have remained in touch. It also reported that former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) has reached out about an endorsement, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has been in touch with the senator, although the context of that exchange is unclear. 

Scott has said that he does not plan to endorse any candidate “anytime soon” and “certainly won’t” do so this year, “if at all.”

The Hill has reached out to the Trump and Haley campaigns and Scott for comment. 

The efforts to gain Scott’s support come as Haley has been surging in polls for the first-in-the-nation primary of New Hampshire. She received 29 percent support in a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday, only 15 points behind Trump — still a significant margin but much smaller than previously. 

Republican strategists said last week, before the poll was released, that New Hampshire presents an opportunity for Haley to build more momentum to try to challenge Trump for the nomination. Polling has also shown Haley in second place in her and Scott’s home state of South Carolina, which will hold its primary about a month after New Hampshire.