Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., defended former President Trump in the wake of his historic conviction in New York, clashing with a CNN anchor who accused his political ally of wanting “revenge” on his political opponents.
“When former President Trump says that if he is elected president, he would appoint a special prosecutor to ‘go after the most corrupt president in the history of the United States of America, Joe Biden, and the entire Biden crime family,’ are you saying that that is not something that you would support?” CNN’s Abby Phillip asked Scott on Thursday.
“I’m simply saying that President Trump has said it himself,” Scott told Phillip. “The best revenge is success.”
TRUMP GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS IN NEW YORK CRIMINAL TRIAL
Sen. Tim Scott defended former President Trump for his promises to get “revenge” on CNN in an interview Thursday, also telling a reporter that her network was unpopular with viewers. (CNN)
“Actually, Senator, I have to correct you on that,” Phillip said.
“No, you can’t correct me on this, Abby,” Scott responded.
“I’m looking at the notes right here,” she said.
“You can look at the notes, I was actually in his presence when he said it himself,” Scott shot back.
Trump said that his “revenge will be success” when asked by a voter at a town hall in South Carolina earlier this year whether he would let go of “old scores” with political opponents.
“I don’t care about the revenge thing,” Trump said. “I know they usually use the word ‘revenge.'”
“My revenge will be success,” he added.
“This is why the ratings on CNN are so low,” Scott later told Phillip after she attempted to correct him multiple times on claims Trump had made about his presidential campaign.
“The bottom line is simply this,” Scott said. “Without question, President Trump has looked me in my eyes in a room full of other folks and said, ‘You know what? The best revenge is success.’”
Scott, who also ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is considered a possible running mate for Trump this fall.
Trump said that his “revenge will be success” when asked at a town hall earlier this year whether he would let go of “old scores” with political opponents. (Felipe Ramales for Fox News Digital)
“Senator, he may have said that to you in a private room, but he has said it to thousands of his supporters that he plans to go after his political enemies,” Phillip said. “I don’t understand how you can deny that he has said that publicly. It’s in the public record.”
“I don’t know how you will not take my own word for what I heard with my own ears,” Scott said.
Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican nominee for president, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels in the closing days of the 2016 election. He maintained his innocence on Thursday and called the case rigged.
After his conviction, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital that he was “still winning” against President Biden despite being stuck in court over the past month.
“Now that he is fully back on the campaign trail, Biden and the Democrats better buckle up,” Leavitt said.
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Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.