5 things to know about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley
2. Appointed Tim Scott to the Senate
While Haley is best known for serving alongside two of her rivals, Trump and Pence, in her capacity as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, she appointed another one of her rivals to his current post in the U.S. Senate. In late 2012, Haley selected Scott, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District at the time, to fill the vacancy in the U.S. Senate caused by the resignation of Republican Jim DeMint.
At a press conference unveiling Scott as her pick to replace DeMint, Haley elaborated on the rationale behind her decision: “He understands the strength that we need to have in our business community as we continue to focus on jobs,” she said.
“This man loves South Carolina and he is very aware that what he does and every vote he makes affects South Carolina and affects our country,” she asserted. “I am strongly convinced that I and the ... entire state understands that this is the right U.S. senator for our state and for our country.”
Haley also touched upon the historic nature of Scott’s appointment to the Senate as the first African American to represent the state in the upper chamber. “I understand that we made history today and I am proud that we made history today,” she explained.
At the same time, she insisted that merit played the primary role in her selection of Scott for the seat: “Congressman Scott earned this seat. He earned this seat for the person that he is. He earned this seat for the results he has shown. He earned this seat for what I know he’s going to do in making South Carolina and making our country proud.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com