U.S. Sen. Tim Scott called claims by journalist Carl Bernstein “baseless” after the junior senator was listed among nearly two dozen Republicans said to have privately expressed disapproval of President Donald Trump.
In a Twitter thread Sunday night, Bernstein claimed 21 GOP senators had expressed disapproval of the president in conversations with others.
Listing the senators “who have privately expressed their disdain for Trump,” with Tim Scott among them, Bernstein claimed “craven silence” by the GOP senators enabled the president’s repeated attacks on the American electoral system.
A statement sent from Scott’s office Monday night said Scott has never met Bernstein, calling the tweets “baseless accusations of someone who clearly has an axe to grind with the President.”
“Senator Scott has enjoyed a productive relationship with the President, passing tax reform, Opportunity Zones, permanent and historically high funding for HBCUs and more,” the statement said.
The president has continued to challenge election results in states where he trails President-elect Joe Biden, including floating unproven allegations of election fraud by state officials and election workers.
Scott would not be the only Republican to turn critical of the president. Bernstein’s claims come as some establishment Republicans appear to be softening on Trump’s election challenges. Former Gov. Chris Christie called Trump’s post-election shadow campaign leadership “a national embarrassment.” U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander also said this week that Biden appears well-positioned to win.
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