The South Carolina Republican senator Tim Scott’s behaviour around Donald Trump is “humiliating”, the civil rights leader Rev Al Sharpton said.
“It was humiliating to watch what Tim Scott did as a sitting senator,” Sharpton told MSNBC, for which he hosts a show, after Scott appeared with the former president in New Hampshire, where Trump won the Republican presidential primary on Tuesday.
Trump faces 91 criminal charges (including 17 for election subversion), civil lawsuits (one arising from a rape claim a judge called “substantially true”) and attempts to keep him off the ballot for inciting an insurrection.
Regardless, his only remaining rival for the Republican nomination is Nikki Haley, who in 2012, as governor of South Carolina, appointed Scott to the US Senate.
The only Black Republican in that chamber, Scott ran for president himself but dropped out early, endorsing Trump before New Hampshire.
Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, said: “I think [Trump] will be the nominee. And I think he’s demanding people bow to him.
“There are few moments in my life [when] I’ve been more embarrassed than to watch Tim Scott. You know, I know Tim and I are both practicing Christians, but I don’t know if he could pray like that to the other side. It was humiliating to watch what Tim Scott did as a sitting senator. And at one time … he wasn’t even on the script, he interrupted Trump to pay homage.”
In Nashua, Trump said: “Did you ever think [Haley] actually supported you, Tim? And you’re the senator of her state. And [you] endorsed me. You must really hate her.”
Interrupting, Scott said: “I just love you.”
“That’s why he’s a great politician,” Trump said.
Sharpton said: “It’s not a fine day in my life to watch [Scott] do that. To think that we fought to see people like him, Black, become high-elected in the south … He has a right to be Republican, he has a right to [endorse] Donald Trump, but to do it in such a way that is so humiliating was troubling. Let’s put it that way. I’m going to try to be as nice as I can.”
Other critics were less nice.
Etan Thomas, an NBA player turned writer, said: “Good Lord, Tim Scott. Shaking my head.”
Tara Setmayer, a Republican operative turned Trump opponent, asked: “Who’s worse? Trump or his court jester enablers?”
The author Jeff Sharlet said: “I hold Tim Scott in contempt, but the depth of self-abasement here is hard to look at. All the more so for understanding how Trump’s supporters see it, a racist inoculation against charges of racism that in turn ‘permits’ more racism.”
On CBS, Scott was asked about his decision to oppose Haley.
“Let’s not forget that President Trump appointed Nikki Haley to be an ambassador [to the United Nations],” Scott said. “So she’s certainly campaigning against him.”
He claimed he had not heard Trump suggest that as president he would investigate Haley if she did not drop out. His host pointed out that Trump said Haley had “a very bad night” and added “I don’t get angry, I get even” as cameras caught Scott laughing.
“I did,” Scott conceded. “I did.”
Asked about speculation he could be Trump’s running mate, Scott said: “The only conversation I had with [Trump] about being vice-president was, ‘I’ll never ask you to be vice-president, I’ll never ask to be part of your cabinet.’”
Pressed on whether he would like to be vice-president, Scott declined to answer.
