Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) clearly wants to be Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, enough that he is willing to discard the 2024 election if Trump loses—despite voting to certify his 2020 loss.
Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday pressed Scott on whether he’d accept the 2024 election results if the Republican ticket loses, noting that Trump has continued making false claims about the 2020 election as recently as last week.
“Why would you want to be on a ticket with someone where there’s such a fundamental difference?” Welker asked.
Scott tried to pretend that the question of accepting election results was a non-issue, as Trump has said that he expects the election results to be fair and honest. “I expect the exact same thing, and frankly, the American people agree with him,” Scott said. “This is an issue that is not an issue, so I’m not going to make it an issue.”
Trump told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday that he would “gladly” accept the election results “if everything’s honest.” If not, he said, “you have to fight for the right of the country.” Trump-appointed government officials have called the 2020 election results fair and honest, but Trump did not accept those results.
When asked whether he himself would accept the 2024 results, Scott repeatedly avoided directly answering the question, instead insisting that Trump will win.
“At the end of the day, the 47th president of the United States will be President Donald Trump, and I’m excited to get back to low inflation, low unemployment,” Scott said, adding: “That is my statement.”
When Welker continued to grill Scott on the question, asking for a simple yes or no, the senator pivoted to a GOP staple: Attacking the media.
“This is why so many Americans believe that NBC is an extension of the Democratic Party,” Scott said. “At the end of the day. I said what I said I know that the American people their voices will be heard, and I believe that President Trump will be our next president. It’s that simple.”
