Senate Republican won’t commit to backing 2024 GOP nominee if it’s not Tim Scott

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds (R) sidestepped a question Sunday about whether he’d support whoever wins the GOP presidential nomination, saying he hopes the nominee is South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R).

“Are you resigned to support whoever the Republicans nominate, even if it’s the former president?” host Chuck Todd asked Rounds on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” referring to former President Trump.

“Well, right now, I’m hoping it’s going to be Tim Scott,” Rounds said.

“And if it’s not, then I’m gonna have to reassess, because I’ve always supported the Republican nominee in the past. I hope Tim is the nominee. There are going to be some other good people as well, but I’m gonna hold that back until we find out how Tim does,” he said, adding that he thinks Scott has “a good shot.”

Todd pressed Rounds, asking whether he’s waiting to hear more about legal issues surrounding Trump.

“Not so much that. I just simply think that there are some very good Republican nominees out there and I’m going to wait and see which one comes out ahead. But I’ve supported the Republican nominee in the past. I hope I can support the Republican nominee in the future. If it’s Tim Scott, I know I can [support] the nominee,” Rounds said.

Rounds was the first senator to publicly back a candidate other than Trump for president in 2024, giving his endorsement before Scott had officially officially launched his campaign.  

Scott is now in the 2024 race with Trump and a growing field of other high-profile GOP figures, including fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley.