'Nobody cares': NH governor backing Nikki Haley laughs off Tim Scott’s Trump endorsement

While former UN ambassador Nikki Haley has kept quiet on Sen. Tim Scott's (R-South Carolina) recent endorsement of former President Donald Trump, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu (R) didn't hold back.

Gov. Sununu — who has been barnstorming his state with Haley ahead of the January 23 primary — offered his own unfiltered take on the South Carolina senator's endorsement of his former rival during a Friday gaggle with reporters.

"If anyone cared about Tim Scott, he'd still be running for president," Sununu said in a clip posted to X/Twitter by Washington Post reporter Dylan Wells. "Nobody cares."

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Scott's endorsement of the 45th president of the United States was somewhat unexpected, given that Haley, as governor of South Carolina, first appointed him to the US Senate after former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) retired in 2012. Sununu noted in a Fox News interview that Scott "wouldn't have a job without Nikki Haley."

With Scott's backing the former president over the former governor who appointed him to his seat, Trump is expected to perform better than expected in New Hampshire. Massachusetts journalist Adam Bass called Scott's endorsement a "nail in the coffin" for Haley's presidential ambitions, as both she and Trump had been privately vying for Scott's support.

Haley, in the meantime, as gone all-in on New Hampshire after placing third in the Iowa Caucuses earlier this week. RealClearPolitics' polling average shows the former UN ambassador nearly within striking distance of her former boss, cutting his lead in the Granite State from almost 40 points in December to roughly 13 points in less than a month. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who was once in a close second with Trump in New Hampshire, has since seen his poll numbers plummet in the first-in-the-nation primary state. He notably headed directly to South Carolina after placing second in Iowa.

New Hampshire voters will head to the polls on Tuesday. The next primary contest will take place in South Carolina on February 3.

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Watch the video of Gov. Sununu's comments below, or by clicking this link.