Mulvaney: Tim Scott move ‘got my attention’

Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is supporting former President Trump against fellow South Carolina politician Nikki Haley in the Republican nomination race, according to Sen. Tim Scott (RS.C.). He said the decision had attracted attention.

Mulvaney sat down with “The Hill on NewsNation” host Blake Berman to discuss “Mick's Picks,” or candidates that President Trump might choose as his running mate. That included Scott, who the former Trump official had previously ruled out.

“As you know, Blake, for the past few weeks I've been talking on the show about people who might be on the vice presidential shortlist.” He said. “I've always said Tim Scott would be taken off the list, but last week his move to endorse Trump ahead of the South Carolina primary really drew attention.”

Scott, who withdrew from the Republican primary in November, formally endorsed Trump last week, saying, “We need a president who will unite our country.” Haley's supporters were quick to criticize the Palmetto state senator, pointing out that she appointed Haley to the Senate in 2012 when she was governor.

“As I said before, I talked to Tim and he confronted me about why I did that. But again, after South Carolina, it ended up being Nikki Haley. “He had the perfect excuse to stay neutral in that race until they literally gave him a seat in the Senate,” Mulvaney said. “So this is a proactive move on his part and I think you need to put him back on the list.”

Mulvaney, who previously represented South Carolina in the House of Representatives, continued that the list of running mate shows Trump is “trying to kind of broaden his appeal.” Other potential running mate candidates include Ben Carson, Trump's former secretary of housing and urban development, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), he said. insisted.

“Look at that list. There are no white men,” he added. “There are two women and two African American men.”

He argued that Carson, who served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Trump administration, could be the frontrunner because he is “the least well-known.” Mulvaney said the former president would probably prefer someone like Carson.

As Trump and Haley race toward the Feb. 24 South Carolina primary, Mulvaney said she thinks it is unlikely she will become vice president.

After the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, both of which were handed over to the former president, Haley has redoubled to continue her fight against Trump, who continues his relentless attacks on her.

“If this situation continues for the next four weeks, it's going to be really, really bad,” he said. “Donald Trump always forgives, but never forgets. If this goes on for another two, three, four weeks, it's going to be really bad and it's going to be hard to recover from.”

President Trump also warned that anyone who donated to Haley's campaign would be “permanently banned from the MAGA campaign.”

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