Sen. Tim Scott stood by former President Donald Trump after he was booed by Libertarians during the party’s national convention over the weekend.
Mr. Scott, South Carolina Republican, brushed off a question Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the Libertarians’ frosty reception for Mr. Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee.
“Well, I saw a wave of red hats at the Libertarian Convention. Donald Trump’s popularity continues to increase, but then he’s not just going to the Libertarian Convention. He’s also doing rallies in the Bronx. He’s doing something, what I consider a 50-state strategy,” said Mr. Scott, who reportedly is on Mr. Trump’s short list of potential running mates.
“He doesn’t just want to win the votes of the American people. He’s trying to win the hearts of the American people, unite our country and start steering us towards the strongest, most powerful, prosperous future we can have,” the senator said.
Mr. Scott applauded Mr. Trump for “going to places where Republicans have not gone before.”
“If we’re going to win this election cycle, we must go where we’re not invited,” he said. “And to see the former president take that seriously is, in my opinion, a strong sign and one of the reasons why, Dana, we are seeing the poll numbers moving in his direction.”
Mr. Trump became the first former or current president to attend a Libertarian Party national convention. He told attendees they should support him, but he was met with with boos throughout his speech.
“You can keep going the way you have for the last long decades and get your 3%, then meet again get another 3%,” Mr. Trump said. “No, you want to make yourself winners. It’s time to be winners. You have a lot of common sense, it’s time to be winners.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.