Elizabeth Warren endorses Scott Brown for secretary of VA

Elizabeth Warren.Gary Cameron/REUTERS

Senator Elizabeth Warren made a surprising endorsement of former rival Scott Brown on Thursday for Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs.

Warren, who has been a fierce critic of several of President-elect Donald Trump’s personnel picks — and no fan of Scott Brown — told WGBH’s Greater Boston Thursday that she would support Brown’s efforts to aid veterans.

“If Scott Brown is the nominee for Veterans’ Affairs, I have no doubt that he would put his heart and soul into trying to help veterans,” Warren told hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan. “And I would put my heart and soul into trying to help him do that. You bet I’d support him for that.”

Warren unseated Brown in a contentious campaign for the US Senate in 2012 that ranked among the most expensive in US history at the time.

He expressed thanks to Warren in a tweet Thursday afternoon and said he would welcome her “support, passion and help to serve our vets” if he’s selected. He also added a hashtag: #truce.

My thanks to @SenWarren for her kind words. If nom. for SecVA, I will welcome her support, passion and help to serve our Vets. #truce

— Scott P. Brown (@SenScottBrown) December 1, 2016

Brown, who served for more than 30 years in the National Guard, met with Trump in New York last week about the VA job and told reporters at Trump Tower that he believes he’s the best person for the nomination.

On the prospect of Mitt Romney becoming secretary of state, Warren said she would need to consider her support, but spoke highly of the former Massachusetts governor.

“I’d like to hear more, but I think Mitt Romney is a smart man, and I think he’s got a pretty level-headed view of the world,” Warren said.