Sen. Tim Scott will endorse former President Donald Trump on Friday evening, according to reports.
The New York Times first reported that Scott, who ended his own presidential campaign in November, will appear with Trump at a Friday rally in Concord, New Hampshire, and announce his support. Other outlets, including Politico, quickly confirmed the report.
Scott’s campaign for president struggled to catch fire amid a crowded field. Scott participated in the first three debates, but he hovered in the low single digits in national polls. He abruptly ended his campaign during a Fox News appearance, a surprise even to some of his staff.
Shortly after dropping out, Scott said he did not plan to make an endorsement. “I’m going to recommend that the voters study each candidate and their candidacies and frankly, their past and make a decision for the future of the country,” Scott said at the time. “The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in on who they should endorse.”
Trump and Nikki Haley had battled for Scott’s endorsement, with both calling Scott as recently as this week, Axios reported. Scott’s endorsement will be a boon to Trump in his home state of South Carolina, where Haley was the former governor.
Scott is the latest in a string of sitting Republican senators to endorse Trump. In recent weeks, Sens. Mike Lee, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio — each of whom opposed Trump early in 2016 — announced their support for Trump’s reelection.