In a surprising turn of events, Senator Tim Scott is expected to endorse former President Donald Trump for president at a rally in New Hampshire on Friday evening. Sources have confirmed this endorsement, which is seen as a blow to fellow South Carolinian, Nikki Haley, who had appointed Scott to the Senate during her tenure as governor.

According to reports from the New York Times, both Haley and Trump had reached out to Scott for his endorsement. It has been revealed that Trump had remained in contact with Scott even after his presidential campaign suspension in November.

The endorsement by Senator Scott is particularly significant as it comes just days ahead of the New Hampshire primary scheduled for January 23rd. This move could potentially influence the outcome of the primary and sway undecided voters to support Trump.

It is worth noting that Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida also reportedly reached out to Senator Scott, although the details of their conversation remain unconfirmed.

Senator Scott, who had faced rumors throughout his campaign about potentially becoming Trump's running mate, strongly denied these speculations, stating that he did not enter the presidential race to be in second place.

Surprisingly, Senator Scott had previously mentioned in a December interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box" that his endorsement of any candidate, including Trump, would not happen this year or possibly at all. However, sources now suggest that he has recently changed his mind.

Nikki Haley, who served as the governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, finished closely behind DeSantis in the Iowa caucuses. Both Haley and DeSantis trailed behind Trump, as evident from recent polling averages in New Hampshire. A victory in the primary could have boosted Haley's campaign momentum as she heads towards her home state of South Carolina, where she still trails behind Trump in the polls.

In response to the endorsement, Haley criticized Scott's decision by invoking Trump's own rhetoric. She stated in a press release, "Interesting that Trump's lining up with all the Washington insiders when he claimed he wanted to drain the swamp. But the fellas are gonna do what the fellas are gonna do."

The news of Senator Scott's endorsement has taken the political landscape by surprise and has the potential to impact the upcoming primary in New Hampshire. This unexpected development adds further intrigue to an already intense presidential race.