Gov. Phil Scott urged New Hampshire voters to reject Donald Trump in next Tuesday’s Republican primary, underscoring how some Republicans are leery of another Trump presidency.

Scott has long made his distaste for Trump known, acknowledging in 2020 that he voted for Democrat Joe Biden. But his call on Friday for Republicans and independents in New Hampshire to support former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley was the sharpest rebuke yet of the former president by the most popular governor in the nation.

“America has a decision to make, and our friends and neighbors in New Hampshire have an opportunity to showcase their deep-rooted independent streak,” Scott said in a statement. “After years of controversy, violent rhetoric and growing polarization, the very last thing we need is four more years of Donald Trump.”



Scott said he views the Republican presidential primary as a two-way race between Trump and Haley, and that voters deserve candidates “with character and integrity, who respect the rule of law, the rights of all people, and the Constitution.” Haley represents the only chance to ensure America has the choice it deserves in November, Scott said.

Scott’s call mirrors that of his political ally, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican who endorsed Haley in December and has been campaigning intensely for her. Following Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to largely skip campaigning in New Hampshire to focus resources in South Carolina, many Republicans have come to see Haley as the best alternative to Trump.

Scott has shown an increasing willingness to criticize Trump over the years. After the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Scott became the first Republican governor to call for Trump to resign. “The fact that these flames of hate and insurrection were lit by the president of the United States will be remembered as one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history,” he said.