Nothing appears to be off the table for Donald Trump, as the former president seems to be resorting to all kinds of measures to try to drum up support both in terms of endorsements and attendance for his first campaign event since announcing his candidacy in November 2022, which is due to take place in the capital of South Carolina on January 28th.
According to the Washington Post, he’s having trouble convincing state lawmakers to attend, and his team have inundated South Carolina Republican officials with “pleading phone calls” over the past few weeks in an effort to get as much support as possible, as things don’t look too good for him as things currently stand.
Republican former President #DonaldTrump on Jan. 28 will make the first public appearance of his 2024 presidential run in the early voting state of South Carolina since announcing his candidacy in November pic.twitter.com/r5NfvZIGss
— DD News (@DDNewslive) January 18, 2023
How Is Trump Trying To Get Support Ahead Of South Carolina Campaign Event?
“The Trump campaign is trying to consolidate support. But I don’t think it is going to be as quick as they think,” an anonymous state lawmaker told the Washington Post, before noting that, despite not yet officially announcing his intention to oppose Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis seems to have the same amount, if not more, support. “Right now my constituency is as excited about Ron DeSantis as Donald Trump, if not more,” they added.
According to reports, Trump will be joined at the Statehouse in Columbia by two high-profile South Carolina supporters — U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Gov. Henry McMaster. Steven Cheung, a spokesman for Trump’s campaign, said the former president “is going to South Carolina to unveil his leadership team, which will show the significant support he has throughout the state, from grass-roots leaders to elected officials.”
#DonaldTrump to be joined by @LindseyGrahamSC, @HenryMcMaster at January South Carolina eventhttps://t.co/dCPqj80X9w pic.twitter.com/fDQIzI3FQe
— Southeast Politics (@Southeast_pol) January 18, 2023
Many Previous Trump Supporters Could Be Going To His Opponents
As he is potentially running against two prominent South Carolinians such as governor and onetime U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott, Trump is already in a less-than-ideal situation, as they have their own supporters, which means that his once loyal supporters could now be going to be his opponents.
“Nikki Haley is probably our first South Carolinian since we voted for George Washington that has really had a chance of being president of the United States,” former South Carolina GOP chair Katon Dawson told the Washington Post, adding, “And I think the Trump folks are going to run into that history.”
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley strongly hints that she’ll challenge Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. https://t.co/D2Sus0zrig
— No Spin News (@NoSpinNews) January 20, 2023
We already know that Trump is losing Evangelical Christian supporters, whose support he relied on so heavily in the past, so we were interested to hear what Dave Wilson, president of influential evangelical group Palmetto Family Council, had to say! According to the Washington Post, he believes “there is more than a little bit of softening” of Trump support in South Carolina, saying many had been turned off by some of his recent comments and actions, adding that many evangelicals in the state wanted to wait and see who got into the race before making any drastic decisions.
“A lot of people recognize the importance of the Trump presidency who are stepping back and are saying, ‘Is there another standard-bearer for the party and the issues we believe in?’ Someone who can carry us not just four more years, but eight more years and create momentum,” he added.
Just days before Donald Trump hosts his first 2024 event in South Carolina, the former president is lashing out at religious conservatives who have declined to endorse his third presidential campaign. https://t.co/y9qSA3ieYH
— CNN (@CNN) January 19, 2023
Trump Calls Evangelical Christians ‘Disloyal’ On Podcast
South Carolina has a huge evangelical population, whose support has been vital in the presidential primary in the past, which is why Trump has made no secret of his disapproval that they have declined to endorse his third presidential campaign, calling their lack of support a “great disloyalty.”
“Nobody has ever done more for Right to Life than Donald Trump. I put three Supreme Court justices, who all voted, and they got something that they’ve been fighting for 64 years, for many, many years,” Trump told conservative journalist David Brody in a podcast interview. “There’s great disloyalty in the world of politics and that’s a sign of disloyalty,” he added.
